Effects of Milk Storage Temperature at the Farm on the Characteristics of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese: Chemical Composition and Proteolysis

Abstract

Parmigiano Reggiano is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheese whose official production protocol provides that milk cannot be stored at less than 18 °C at the farm. The possibility of refrigerating milk at the farm is highly debated, since it should allow for the limiting of bacterial growth, thus improving the quality of the cheese. The present research aimed to study the influence of storing the milk at 9 °C on the chemical composition and proteolysis during the ripening of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. The experimentation considered six cheese-making trials, in which both evening and morning milks were subdivided into two parts that were maintained at 9 and 20 °C. After Parmigiano Reggiano cheese-making, one of the twin wheels obtained was analyzed after 21 months of ripening. From each cheese, two different samples were taken, one from the inner zone, and the other from the outer zone. The results of the chemical analyses evidenced that milk storage at 9 °C significantly (p ≤ 0.05) influenced fat, crude protein, soluble nitrogen and peptone nitrogen contents. Nevertheless, the differences observed with respect to the cheese obtained with milk stored under standard condition were very small and should be considered within the “normal variations” of Parmigiano Reggiano chemical characteristics.

Automatic Milking Systems in the Production of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese: Effects on the Milk Quality and on Cheese Characteristics

“…Furthermore, the level of drainage under whey has a direct influence on the changes in cheese moisture during salting and ripening and, consequently, on the level of moisture of the final product [16]. Moisture has a strong influence on the exchange of salts and water between brine and cheese during salting and affects the enzymatic activities that take place during ripening that are responsible for the sensorial properties of the cheese (e.g., flavour and texture) [14,51].…”

“…Furthermore, since the autochthonous lactic acid bacteria play a fundamental role in the production of a traditional PDO cheese [14] made from raw milk, due to their influence on the cheese proteolysis and lipolysis processes [14][15][16], the adoption of innovative processes in typical productions, such as that of Parmigiano Reggiano, must be evaluated and tested, to verify their effects on the lactic acid bacteria grow.…”

Effects of the Cooling Temperature at the Farm on Milk Maturation and Cheesemaking Process in the Manufacture of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO Cheese

“…In a previous paper, the effect of the cooling temperature of the milk at the farm on PR proteolysis was investigated [21]; thus, the present research aimed to compare the effect of cooling milk at the farm at 9 • C vs. 20 • C on the chemical and microbiological characteristics of the milk, on the cheesemaking process, and on the cheesemaking losses during manufacture.…”

Fatty acids composition and lipolysis of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese: effect of the milk cooling temperature at the farm

“…For this reason, the milk destined to the production of hard cheeses is commonly kept at lower temperatures, as happens, as an example, in Grana Padano cheese manufacturing, in which the milk can be cooled down to 9 °C. On the other hand, lowering the temperature of milk keeping at the farm, might cause modifications in the chemical and microbiological characteristics [10,11] with consequent negative impact on the cheese ripening process [1]. Two important modifications are the decrease of coagulable casein [11] and the changes of the milk microbiological characteristics [10].…”