Relationship between chemical , physical and sensory properties for pasta filata and stirred curd LMPS

Functional attributes of cheese such as shreddability and melt are dramatically affected by cheese moisture level. Previous work by our group has demonstrated that the addition of Streptococcus thermophilus MR1C, a strain that produces a large capsular exopolysaccharide (EPS+), to cheese results in a significant increase in the cheese moisture level. The objectives of this study were to determine if the addition of MR1C could be used to improve shreddability in high moisture American style cheese. Stirred curd cheeses were manufactured to contain equivalent moisture levels using either MR1C (41.4 43.7% moisture) or a non EPS-producing (EPS−) derivative of MR1C (40.5 44.4% moisture). The suitability of individual cheeses for shredding was determined by rheometry and texture profile analysis. Cheese firmness was determined after 1, 3, and 6 weeks of aging, then the cheese was shredded, and 3% (wt/wt) powdered cellulose was added to prevent caking. The cheese was packaged with a nitrogen gas flush, and melt properties were measured periodically. When cheeses with the same moisture content (i.e., 41.6 ± 0.2%) were compared over the 6 wks of storage, there was no overall significant affect on hardness although there was a significant week * culture interaction (P = 0.026) . The (EPS+) cheese was softer at wk 1, then became harder at wk 3, but softened by wk 6. There was also a tendency (P = 0.095) for the (EPS+) cheese to be less adhesive than the (EPS−) cheese. There were no overall differences in elasticity or viscosity, and the cheeses melted to the same extent after 6 wks storage from when the cheese was shredded.