A DEVICE FOR EVALUATING MELT FLOW CHARACTERISTICS OF CHEESES/

A device to objectively measure the melt/flow behavior of cheeses at d ifferent temperatures was built consisting of a temperature-controlled heater, an LVDT (linear variable differential transformer), and a per sonal computer with a data acquisition system. This device, named UW M eltmeter, operates in the lubricated squeeze-flow configuration and ca n be used either alone at a constant force or in conjunction with a un iversal testing machine at a constant deformation rate. A marker techn ique was used to verify the shear-free squeezing flow assumption. The flow of Mozzarella cheeses with 14 and 43% fat content was studied at 40 and 60C under constant force (0.7 and 0.9 N) and constant cross-hea d speed (0.5 and 2.5 cm/min). Biaxial extensional strain rate and biax ial stress growth coefficient were calculated. The results supported t he expected trend of increased meltability at higher fat levels and at higher temperatures.