title: Shreddability of pizza Mozzarella cheese predicted using physicochemical properties.
abstract: This study used rheological techniques such as uniaxial compression, wire cutting, and dynamic oscillatory shear to probe the physical properties of pizza Mozzarella cheeses. Predictive models were built using compositional and textural descriptors to predict cheese shreddability. Experimental cheeses were made using milk with (0.25% wt/wt) or without denatured whey protein and renneted at pH 6.5 or 6.4. The cheeses were aged for 8, 22, or 36 d and then tested at 4, 13, or 22°C for textural attributes using 11 descriptors. Adding denatured whey protein and reducing the milk renneting pH strongly affected cheese mechanical properties, but these effects were usually dependent on testing temperature. Cheeses were generally weaker as they aged. None of the compositional or rheological descriptors taken alone could predict the shredding behavior of the cheeses. Using the stepwise method, an objective selection of a few (<4) relevant descriptors made it possible to predict the production of fines (R(2)=0.82), the percentage of long shreds (R(2)=0.67), and to a lesser degree, the adhesion of cheese to the shredding blade (R(2)=0.45). The principal component analysis markedly contrasted the adhesion of cheese to the shredding blade with other shredding properties such as the production of fines or long shreds. The predictive models and principal component analysis can help manufacturers select relevant descriptors for the development of cheese with optimal mechanical behavior under shredding conditions.
authors.affiliation: STELA Dairy Research Group, Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada, G1K 7P4.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Banville
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Centre, Agropur Cooperative, St-Hubert, QC, Canada, J3Z 1G5.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.affiliation: STELA Dairy Research Group, Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada, G1K 7P4.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pouliot
authors.affiliation: Food Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 3600 Casavant Blvd. W., St-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada, J2S 8E3. Electronic address: michel.britten@agr.gc.ca.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Britten
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002611:Cheese / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D012085:Chymosin / Q000737:chemistry; D063427:Food Quality; D005524:Food Technology; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry; D012212:Rheology
chemical_list: C025350:rennet; D012085:Chymosin
keywords: Mozzarella cheese; rheological properties; shreddability; texture