Grana Padano cheese: thermoanalytical techniques applied to the study of ripening

In the present work, modifications of water-matrix interactions in Grana Pa dano (GP) cheese were studied using thermogravimetric techniques in order t o provide an index of ripening. These techniques represent a simple and rap id method for determining water content and for monitoring its behaviour in ripening GP cheese. It is possible to evaluate the quantity of water prese nt in the matrix, as well as the different types of water bound to it both qualitatively and quantitatively. Samples of traditional GP cheese produced in the winter season (same day), and collected at different ripening stage s (5,10,14,19 months), were investigated. When statistical models of the ST ARMAX (Space Time Autoregressive Moving Average exogenous variables) class, augmented with surface trends, were fitted to thermoanalytical data, valua ble insights into the chemical nature of the ripening were acheived with go od predictive performances. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reser ved.