Cheese-making properties of ovine and caprine milks submitted to high pressures

Abstract

The possibility to improve the yield and rennetability of ovine and caprine milks by the application of high pressures (100-400 MPa) has been investigated. The application of pressures over 200 MPa induced denaturation of beta-lactoglobulin, enhancing protein and moisture retention in the curd. The effect of pressure on the coagulation properties depended on the magnitude and duration of the process and on the milk species, but in general terms, pressurization did not improve the renneting properties of ewe and goats' milk. However, treatments at 400 MPa, which provided the highest cheese yields, did not considerably lengthen the rennet coagulation times, and in the case of goat's milk, pressurization improved the consistency of the curd. Therefore, pressurization of ovine and caprine milks seems to be a promising way of improving their technological properties for cheese-making. (C) Inra/Elsevier, Paris.