title: Hot topic: microstructure quantification by scanning electron microscopy and image analysis of goat cheese curd.
abstract: Five microstructural parameters of goat cheese curd (number of pores, their area and perimeter, strand thickness, and porosity) were studied by scanning electron microscopy and image analysis. Image analysis was used to characterize and quantify differences in all parameters and to provide a procedure for the measurement of strand thickness. The micrographs provided visual evidence of differences in the protein matrix and were quantified by image analysis at 3 production times: 34 ± 1 min (cutting), 154 ± 6 min (before molding), and 293 ± 35 min (after pressing). The data showed that this procedure is an adequate tool for quantifying differences in the parameters analyzed in industrial samples despite their natural heterogeneity. The procedure was reproducible and repetitive for the first 2 production times because no significant intragroup differences were observed. Significant differences were found when comparing the values of the microstructure parameters analyzed at 34 ± 1 min and those corresponding to 154 ± 6 min and 293 ± 35 min, but no significant differences between samples analyzed at 154 ± 6 min and 293 ± 35 min were found. All microstructure parameters analyzed were related at a significance level of at least 95%. This procedure enables the characterization of the microstructure of industrial goat cheese curd.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Technology, Human Nutrition and Bromatology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Murcia, Espinardo, E-30071, Murcia, Spain. silvia.rovira@um.es
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rovira
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferrandini
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laencina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002611:Cheese; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D006041:Goats; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D016062:Porosity; D015203:Reproducibility of Results