73G-14 |
Prediction of cheese texture attribute by fundamental rheological analyses using a stress controlled dynamic rheometer |
W. K. CHUNG and J. -. F. Meullenet. Food Science, University of Arkansas, 2650 N Young Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72704 Texture is an important attribute of food and has been used as an indicator for cheese identification and quality. The cheese industry requires reliable methods, such as empirical and imitative instrumental tests, for measuring and monitoring sensory texture characteristics. The objectives of this study were to evaluate use of fundamental rheological tests to measure texture characteristics of cheese, and to explore the use of multivariate analysis methods such as partial least squares regression for developing predictive models that permit the accurate prediction of sensory texture attributes of cheese from fundamental rheological data. Twenty six commercial cheese were assessed by an 9-member descriptive panel for texture attributes. Samples were also assessed for rheological properties using a stress controlled dynamic rheometer (SR5000, Rheometrics Scientific). Six sensory texture attributes were evaluated and storage modulus (G’), loss modulus (G”), creep compliance (J (t)), and residual strain (S (t)) from fundamental rheological tests were used in combination with Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression to evaluate predictive models for each of sensory texture attributes studied. Satisfactory models are proposed for two sensory texture attributes of cheese, namely springiness (Rcal=0.82), and toothpack (Rcal=0.84). The fundamental rheological tests were found to be appropriate for predicting attributes such as springiness, cohesiveness, toothpull and toothpack. However, hardness (Rcal=0.26), cohesiveness of mass (Rcal=0.38), cohesiveness (Rcal=0.55), and toothpull (Rcal=0.62) could not be predicted using fundamental rheological tests. The use of fundamental rheological tests was found to be inadequate to predict texture attributes for which the evaluation involves large deformation and sample fracture. This result is not surprising since the instrumental tests performed involved small strains not inducing sample fracture. However, fundamental rheological tests studied could be appropriate to predict springiness an important attribute of cheese.
Session 73G, Sensory Evaluation
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