Cheddar texture

While rennet-coagulated cheese curd may be consumed immediately after manufacture (and a little is), it is rather flavourless and rubbery. Consequently, rennet-coagulated cheeses are ripened (matured) for a period ranging from about 3 weeks for Mozzarella to more than 2 years for Parmesan and extra-mature Cheddar. During this period, a very complex series of biological, biochemical and chemical reactions occur through which the characteristic flavour compounds are produced and the texture altered. 

A cheese-like spread, which is similar to processed cheese spread, is prepared by combining hydrolyzed Swiss-or Cheddar-whey protein and cultured cream. The whey protein is precipitated by heat and acid. The granular, chalky precipitate then acquires a smooth texture by enzymatic hydrolysis with Rhozyme P-11 at 39.5 to 40.5 °C for 30 min. The product is heated to 85 °C for 15 min to inactivate the enzymes then it is homogenized and blended with an equal quantity of 45° cream culture containing Lactobacillus casei (Webb and Whittier 1970). 

Excessive or insufficient acid development during manufacture can produce variability in the moisture content of cheese and defects in flavor, body, texture, color, and finish (Van Slyke and Price 1952). The rate of lactose fermentation varies with the type of cheese, but the conversion to lactic acid is virtually complete during the first weeks of aging (Van Slyke and Price 1952 Turner and Thomas 1980). Very small amounts of lactose and galactose may be found in cheese months after manufacture. (Huffman and Kristoffersen 1984 Turner and Thomas 1980 Harvey et al. 1981 Thomas and Pearce 1981). Turner and Thomas (1980) showed that the fermentation of residual lactose in Cheddar cheese is affected by the storage temperature, the salt level in the cheese and the salt tolerance of the starter used. 

Emmons, D. B., Kalab, M., Larmond, E. and Lowrie, R. J. 1980. Milk gel structure. X. Texture and microstructure in Cheddar cheese made from whole milk and from homogenized low-fat milk. J. Texture Studies 11, 15-34. 

Vedamuthu, E. R., Sandine, W. E. and Elliker, P. R. 1966. Flavor and texture in Cheddar cheese. I. Role of mixed strain lactic starter cultures. J. Dairy Sci. 49, 144-150. 

Bullens, 1994 Anonymous, 1996). Textural defects include increased firmness, rubberiness, elasticity, hardness, dryness, and graininess. The negative flavor attributes of reduced-fat Cheddar include bitterness (Ardo and Mansson, 1990) and a low intensity of typical Cheddar cheese aroma and flavor (Banks et al., 1989 Jameson, 1990). Approaches used to improve the quality of reduced-fat cheese include ... 

These approaches have been reviewed extensively (Jameson, 1990 Ardo, 1997 Fenelon and Guinee, 1997 Fenelon, 2000). Various recommendations for the manufacture of reduced-fat cheeses with improved sensory and textural properties (Mistry et al., 1996 Johnson et al., 1998), (e.g., half-fat Cheddar prepared by homogenization of cream used to standardize the cheese milk) (Nair et al., 2000) the combined effects of increases in milk pasteurization temperature and pH at curd milling, and the use of selected starters and starter culture adjuncts (Guinee et al., 1999 Fenelon et al., 2002) ... 

Fenelon, M.A., Guinee, T.P. 1997. The compositional, textural and maturation characteristics of reduced-fat Cheddar made from milk containing added Dairy-Lo . Milchwissenschaft. 52, 385-389. 

Guinee, T.P., Fenelon, M.A., Mulholland, E.O., O Kennedy, B.T., O Brien, N., Reville, W.J. 1998. The influence of milk pasteurization temperature and pH at curd milling on the composition, texture and maturation of reduced-fat Cheddar cheese. Int. J. Dairy Technol. 51, 1-10. 

This liposome enzyme system is a combination of an endopeptidase and an exopeptidase. The enzymes are slowly released after the cheese is put into the aging chamber. Using these liposomes for cheddar cheese production showed that the liposomes were evenly distributed and 90% of the added enzyme was retained in the cheese curd. The resulting cheese ripened in half the normal time with excellent flavor and textural properties. 

Casiraghi, E. M., Bagjey, E. B., and Christianson, D. D. 1985. Behavior of mozzarella, cheddar and processed cheese spread in lubricated and bonded uniaxial compression. J. Texture Stud. 16 281-301. 

Pandey, P.K. and Ramaswamy, H.S. 1998. Effect of high pressure of milk on textural properties, moisture content and yield of Cheddar cheese. In Book of abstracts of IFTAnnual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, pp. 173-174. 

The texture of Cheddar cheese is considered to be more dependent on pH than on any other factor (see Lawrence and Gilles, 1982 Fox et al, 1990, for references) for the same calcium content, the texture of Cheddar varies from curdy (pH 5.3), to waxy (pH 5.3 >5.1), to mealy (pH <5.1). Suggested explanations for this pH dependence include micelle hydration, especially in the presence of NaCl, and the extent to which colloidal calcium phosphate (CCP) is solubilized. 

Proteolysis during ripening modifies cheese texture. The casein in low-pH Cheddar is hydrolyzed more rapidly than in normal pH cheese partly because solubilization of CCP causes micellar dissociation and renders the caseins more susceptible to proteolysis (O Keeffe et al, 1975) and partly because more chymosin is retained, and is more active, at low pH (Holmes et al, 1977 Creamer et al, 1985). 

One of the major problems encountered in research on cheese flavor is defining what the typical flavor should be. Within any variety, a fairly wide range of flavor and textural characteristics is acceptable this is particularly so for Cheddar which makes it especially difficult to chemically define its flavor. In cheese factories, wholesale or retail outlets and research laboratories, somebody decides what constitutes desirable and undesirable flavor, which may not be typical. Only recently have systematic attempts been... 

The texture is characteristic for the variety and ranges from crumbly, e.g., Parmesan and Cheshire, to elastic, e.g., Emmental or Gouda, from close, e.g., Cheddar, to open, e.g.. Blue, from very firm, e.g., Gruyere, to fluid, e.g., Camembert. 

Cheese ripening is a slow, and hence an expensive, process, e.g., Parmesan and extramature Cheddar are ripened for at least 18 months. Ripening is still not controllable precisely, i.e., the quality and intensity of flavor cannot be predicted precisely. Therefore, there is an economic incentive for the development of methods for the acceleration of cheese ripening, provided that the flavor and texture can be maintained and characteristic of the variety. 

Therefore, studies on the acceleration of cheese ripening have focussed on proteolysis, especially in hard, low-moisture varieties, in particular Cheddar. Low-fat cheeses have attracted much attention recently such cheeses have poor texture and flavor and the techniques being considered to accelerate the ripening of normal cheeses are being applied to low-fat cheeses also. The third area of interest is the production of cheese-Uke products, e.g., enzyme modified cheeses, for use in the preparation of food products, e.g., processed cheeses, cheese sauces, cheese dips, etc. 

Because of intercheese variation in structure and level of proteolysis, different types of cheese give processed products of different textural characteristics. Hence, it is generally recognized that mature semihard cheese varieties, such as hard Italian-types, Cheddar, and Emmentaler, give firmer, longer-bodied processed products that mould-ripened cheeses of the same age. 

Harvey, C. D., Morris, H. A., and Jenness, R. (1982). Relation between melting and textural properties of process Cheddar cheese. J. Dairy Set 65, 2291-2295. 

Johnston, K. A., Dunlop, F. P., Coker, C. J., and Wards, S. M. (1994). Comparisons between the electrophoretic pattern and textural assessment of aged Cheddar made using various levels of calf rennet or microbial coagulant (Rennilase 46L). Int. Dairy J. 4, 303-327. 

---