Changes in microstructural, textural and colour characteristics during ripening of Manchego-type cheese salted by brine vacuum impregnation

A new salting procedure which was published in a previous paper on Manchego -type cheese is now studied in order to evaluate how it affects physical pr operties of cheeses during ripening. Textural characteristics were analysed within the ripening period in two cheese areas (internal and medium) by me ans of the uniaxial compression and the stress relaxation test. Cheese micr ostructure was assessed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Colour value s were also evaluated. Cheeses salted by brine vacuum impregnation were les s fracturable and more elastic than conventional brine salted cheeses. This is a result of microstructural changes induced by the pressure gradients i mposed on the system. Vacuum impregnated cheeses showed a compact and homog eneous protein matrix with small fat globules well dispersed. Conventional brine immersed cheeses showed a more irregular protein network, with larger pores and relatively large fat aggregates. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.