SIMPLE EMPIRICAL AND FUNDAMENTAL METHODS TO DETERMINE OBJECTIVELY THESTRETCHABILITY OF MOZZARELLA CHEESE

The ability of Mozzarella cheese to stretch and form long fibres was e valuated by two simple instrumental tests. The first test, which was b asically a tensile test, resembled the way the consumer assesses the s tretchability of cheese as a pizza topping. The extensibility measurem ents of the test correlated well with the sensory stringiness scores. The second, fundamental test was a compressive elongation of the melte d cheese. The elongational viscosity of the melted cheese was calculat ed; this could be used as an index of the ability of the cheese to for m strings when it is stretched.