Le. Metzger et al., Effect of milk preacidification on low fat Mozzarella cheese: III. Post-melt chewiness and whiteness, J DAIRY SCI, 84(6), 2001, pp. 1357-1366
The effect of calcium reduction las a result of milk preacidification) on p
ost-melt chewiness and whiteness of low fat Mozzarella cheese was determine
d. Four vats (230 kg of milk per vat) of cheese were made in 1 d using no p
reacidification (control), preacidification pH 6.0 and pH 5.8 with acetic a
cid, and preacidification to pH 5.8 with citric acid. Cheese manufacture wa
s repeated on four different days using a randomized complete block design.
The total calcium content and the water-insoluble calcium content of the c
heese were lower in the cheeses made from preacidified milks. The amount of
water-soluble and water-insoluble calcium changed during refrigerated stor
age, as did pH. The post-melt chewiness and whiteness of low fat Mozzarella
cheese were affected by milk preacidification. The largest level of calciu
m reduction and modification in post-melt chewiness and whiteness occurred
in the pH 5.8 citric treatment. Multiple regression analysis of post-melt c
hewiness and cheese whiteness at 38 degreesC after heating and cooling indi
cated that both water-insoluble calcium and proteolysis were strongly assoc
iated with changes in the post-melt chewiness and whiteness of low fat Mozz
arella cheese. High levels of proteolysis and low levels of water-insoluble
calcium were associated with decreased post-melt chewiness and whiteness o
f low fat Mozzarella cheese.