Changes in quality of nonaged pasta filata Mexican cheese during refrigerated vacuum storage.
Six batches of Oaxaca cheese (a Mexican pasta filata cheese) from 3 dairy plants were sampled and vacuum-packaged at 8°C up to 24d. Counts of principal microbial groups, pH, levels of sugars, organic acids, lipolytic and proteolytic indices, and texture, color, and meltability values of cheeses were studied at d 1, 8, 16 and 24 of storage. A descriptive sensory analysis of selected taste, odor, and texture characteristics was also carried out. The main changes in the cheeses during the storage were decreases in pH, hardness, elasticity, and whiteness, and an increase in meltability. Neither lipolytic nor proteolytic activities were evident during the storage of cheeses. Storage time resulted in a gradual quality loss of unmelted cheeses. This loss of quality might be related to the decrease of hardness and the appearance off-flavors.
Instituto Tecnológico Superior del Oriente del Estado de Hidalgo, Carretera Apan-Tepeapulco, Km 3.5, Colonia Las Peñitas, 43900, Apan, Mexico.
Lucía
L
Fuentes
Departamento de Higiene y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Campus Vegazana s/n, 24007, León, Spain. Electronic address: jmato@unileon.es.
Javier
J
Mateo
Departamento de Nutrición y Bromatología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Valladolid, Avda. Ramón y Cajal 7, 47005, Valladolid, Spain.
Emiliano J
EJ
Quinto
Departamento de Higiene y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Campus Vegazana s/n, 24007, León, Spain; Departamento de Nutrición y Bromatología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Valladolid, Avda. Ramón y Cajal 7, 47005, Valladolid, Spain.
Irma
I
Caro
D002611:Cheese / Q000032:analysis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D061353:Food Storage; D008800:Mexico; D012034:Refrigeration; D014618:Vacuum
Oaxaca cheese; cheese shelf life; stretched curd; traditional cheese