Effects of Proteolysis of Natural Cheese on Body and Melting Properties of Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread

Abstract

Cheddar and Dariworld cheese were specially made and ripened for six months. At regular intervals they were analyzed and made into pasteurized process cheese spreads. The original making processes were varied to give both normal and abnormally sweet (high pH) lots of both varieties. Proteolytic changes, measured by nitrogen and formol nitrogen as per cent of total nitrogen soluble in a sodium citrate-HCl extract of cheese at pH 4.4 ± 0.05, were quite similar in all modifications excepting sweet Dariworld; proteolysis in sweet Dariworld exceeded that of all other treatments. In spite of this general similarity, satisfactory penetrometer and melting values occurred only in spreads made from normal cheese and then only when soluble nitrogen had developed to approximately 12 to 15% of total nitrogen and formol nitrogen to 2 to 3% of total nitrogen. Changes in pH during making and curing were more significant than proteolysis in determining rheological properties of the cheese spreads. © 1962, American Dairy Science Association. All rights reserved.