The effect of calcium content of Cheddar-style cheese on the biochemical and rheological properties of processed cheese

Abstract

-Calcium content of natural cheese has a major impact on its physical properties. The objective of this study was to investigate how the calcium content of natural cheese affects the functionality of processed cheese (PC). The PCs were made from Cheddar cheese with an intact casein content of 89 g·100 g −1 total casein and with calcium/casein ratios (mg·100 g −1

Effect of calcium addition and pH on yield and texture of Minas cured cheese

“…Therefore, any observed differences in cheese characteristics may not be exclusively due to differences in calcium content, but may be related to other factors (Upetri and Metzger, 2006). The results are concordant with statements in literature that affirm that calcium concentration influences rheological properties of cheeses, including hardness (Hassan, 2004). As evidenced in a study, the hardness of cheddar cheese prepared with low calcium was always lower than that prepared with high levels of calcium and there was an inverse correlation between hardness and meltability at any time during ripening (Chevanan and Muthukumarappan, 2007).…”

“…The moisture content of the cheese was not significantly affected by the addition of calcium in different concentrations regardless of the pH of milk clotting. Different results were found for cheddar cheese by Guinee and O'Kennedy (2009) and Upreti and Metzger (2006), in which cheeses with low calcium had higher moisture compared to those with high calcium. A similar influence of calcium content on cheese moisture was observed by other researchers; they attributed the lower moisture in high calcium cheese to reduced hydration of the cheese para-casein matrix compared with low calcium cheese (Guinee et al, 2002;Pastorino et al, 2003a;Joshi et al, 2004).…”

“…As evidenced in a study, the hardness of cheddar cheese prepared with low calcium was always lower than that prepared with high levels of calcium and there was an inverse correlation between hardness and meltability at any time during ripening (Chevanan and Muthukumarappan, 2007). Results of another study indicated that low levels of calcium in natural cheeses produce processed cheeses that are softer and more brittle, and they become fluid upon heating, which acquire this fluency in the shortest time at lower temperature, but are less stable upon heating at high temperatures for a longer period of time (Guinee and O'Kennedy, 2009). The sensorial evaluation of cheeses C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 and C6 regarding the hardness parameter of the texture showed that, in spite of panelists (consumers) indicating C1 as the hardest cheese produced and C6 as the less hard Minas cured cheese produced, there was no significant difference between cheeses produced at the same pH of milk clotting regarding the addition of 150 or 300 ppm of CaCl 2 or not.…”

“…Vet. Zootec., v.65, n.2, p.601-609, 2013 of calcium was present inside casein after cheese making (Lucey et al, 2003;Lucey et al, 2005;Chevanan and Muthukumarappan, 2007;Guinee and O'Kennedy, 2009;Lee and Lee, 2009). …”

“…The pH variations also lead to a shift in calcium equilibrium, and are influenced by factors like composition and pre-acidification of milk, cheese manufacturing pH, acid development during aging, among others. There have been many studies showing that calcium equilibrium affects the rheological properties of cheese (Hassan et al, 2004;Johnson and Lucey, 2006;Lee and Lee, 2009). …”