15B-22 |
Texture and microflora of Vallagret cheese as influenced by maturation |
K. J. ARYANA, Dept. of Dairy Science, Louisiana State Univ., 111 Dairy Science, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 and Z. Z. Haque, Dept. of Food Science & Technology, Mississippi State Univ., Box 9805, Mississippi State, MS 39762. Vallegret cheese combines characteristics of Cheddar and Swiss cheeses. Consumer acceptance of this cheese on maturation is influenced by its texture, which in turn is influenced by its microflora and composition. Objectives of this study were, 1) to elucidate the stress and strain of young (one week) and matured (20 weeks) Vallegret cheese and, 2) to enumerate the microflora of young and matured cheeses. Stress and strain of Vallagret cheese were determined using an Instron universal testing machine. Microflora were enumerated by plating. Lactococci were enumerated using M17 agar. The lactobacilli and Leuconostoc mesenteroides were enumerated on LBS agar while the aerobic microorganisms were enumerated using plate count agar. Stress decreased significantly from 0.52 MPa in young cheese to 0.11 MPa in the matured samples. Strain decreased significantly from 0.87 mm/mm in young cheese to 0.41mm/mm in matured cheese. Aerobic microorganisms and lactococci decreased on maturation while the numbers of Lactobacilli and Leuconostoc mesenteroides increased over the 20 weeks maturation period. Maturation impacted the microflora of Vallagret cheese. On maturation, Vallagret cheese was more consumer acceptable partly because of its lowered resistance to deformation and its reduced elasticity.
Session 15B, Dairy Foods: Chemistry, microbiology and sensory analysis of various cheeses
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