Effect of the use of slurry on the prato cheese ripening . / Efeito da utilização de slurry sobre a maturação de queijo prato.

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2003

RESUMO

Although, according to the Brazilian legislation, the Prato cheese ripening must be of at least 25 days, this period is not always observed because of both economic factors and the necessity of answering to the market demand for the product. The transformations that occur during the ripening process are responsible for the taste, odor and texture improvement, which characterize the uniqueness of each cheese variety. However, they can be slow and take several months depending on the cheese variety, what makes the studies that focus on the acceleration of cheese ripening very important. The objective of this work was to study the processing and characterization of Prato cheese slurry and evaluate the effect of its addition during the cheese ripening process. Prato cheese curd was utilized in the manufacture of the slurry, which was maturated at 30°C for 7 days. This slurry was later added in the cheese manufacture as a source of enzymes and microorganisms, which aimed the acceleration of the ripening. At each processing day 3 kinds of cheese were manufactured: (1) Prato cheese control, manufactured through the traditional Prato cheese method (2) Prato cheese manufactured by adding slurry to the milk and (3) Prato cheese manufactured through slurry addition to the curd without whey, before the pre-pressing. Immediately after the manufacture, the slurries were characterized according to their centesimal composition. After 0, 3, 5 and 7 ripening days their pH, acidity, salt, total nitrogen, SN-pH 4.6, SN 12% TCA and free aminic groups were evaluated. After the manufacture, the centesimal composition of the cheeses was evaluated. During the ripening, after 1, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 40 manufacture days, the pH, acidity, total nitrogen, SN-pH 4.6, SN-12% TCA, the contents of tyrosine and tryptophan and free aminic groups of the cheese were evaluated. Besides, during the ripening, the electrophoretic patterns and texture profiles of the cheeses were evaluated. After 21, 28 and 40 ripening days, they were also sensorially evaluated in order to check their acceptability. A split-plot in blocks statistical design was utilized. The effects of the treatments and ripening time on the studied characteristics were evaluated through variance analysis according to this design. During the slurry maturation, the soluble nitrogen fraction increased significantly, indicating intense proteolysis. The soluble nitrogen at pH 4.6 and at 12% TCA increased, in average, about 94% and 150%, respectively. After 7 maturation days at 30oC, the slurries presented characteristic Prato cheese flavor, indicating that this product could be utilized as a source of enzymes and microorganisms to improve the flavor and accelerate the cheese ripening. The control cheeses and the ones obtained through slurry addition to the milk or to the curd presented a similar chemical composition. The ripening time significantly affected the pH of the cheeses, which were, however, in the average expected for Prato cheese (5.2 and 5.4), besides, the treatments did not affect significantly the pH of the cheeses. The treatments, or the addition of slurry to the milk or to the curd, did not affect significantly the ratios of width and depth of the ripening. The results indicated a tendency that suggests higher proteolysis when the slurry was added, either to the milk or to the curd. The treatments significantly affected the content of free aminic groups in the cheeses. During the ripening it was observed a continuous increase in the intermediate casein fragment, as1-I-CN, and a concomitant reduction of intensity in the bands of as1-CN, indicating its hydrolysis for all cheeses. The firmness of the cheeses was significantly affected by the interaction between the treatments and ripening. The firmness decreased through the ripening in the control cheeses and in the ones obtained through addition of slurry to the curd and increased slightly in the cheese obtained through addition of slurry to the milk. The elasticity of the cheeses decreased significantly during the ripening and was not significantly affected by the treatments. The cohesiviness of the cheese significantly decreased during the ripening time, which decreased faster and reached lower values in the cheese obtained through slurry addition to the milk. The sensorial evaluation indicated that after 21 ripening days the control cheese and the cheese obtained through slurry addition to the curd were the preferred ones by the tasters. After 40 ripening days, the control cheese was the favorite one.

ASSUNTO(S)

sensorial evaluation cheese queijo avaliação sensorial massas alimenticias proteolise proteolysis cheese folder

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