Laboratory Studies on the Chemistry of Soft Curd Milk

Abstract

It is established that a high concentration of case in is associated withhard curd milk and a low concentration with soft curd milk. It is clearly indicated that the concentration and manner of dispersion of the fat are important in influencing the curd character. A higher concentration of calcium and phosphorus is found in hard curd milk than in soft. It is demonstrated that the role of the whey constituents in determining curd character must be a small one. By correlating the results of quantitative analysis with measurements of viscosity, conductivity and buffer action, it seems to be established that the suspensoid phase differentiates a soft curd milk from a hard curd milk that is, that the fat, casein, and calcium phosphates by means of their concentration and manner of dispersion seem to control the curd character. Attempts to find decisive differences in composition between caseins from soft and hard curd milks were not successful but the possibility that such differences may exist is not wholly eliminated. © 1933, American Dairy Science Association. All rights reserved.