MICROSTRUCTURE, SENESCENCE AND TEXTURE PARAMETERS OF SARDO CHEESE APPLYING IMAGE ANALYIS TECHNIQUES

FACUNDO PIENIAZEK; MESSINA, VALERIA MARISA

BRITISH FOOD JOURNAL (1966)

EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LIMITED

Año: 2019

0007-070X

Purpose- Ripening is an essential process for quality attributes in cheese. In Sardo cheese ripening takes approximately 8-10 month representing a problem for the manufacture. Due to this, manufactures are starting to reduce ripening to 4 months. The aim of the present research was in first place to develop a procedure using Scanning Electron Microscopy combined with image analysis technique to compare quality parameters in Sardo cheese ripened at 8 and 4 months; and in second place to apply freeze drying.Design/Methodology/approach- Samples were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy. Texture and colour parameters were analyzed by image analysis techniques. Activity water was analyzed by conventional methods.Findings- Ripening periods can be reduced from 8 to 4 months but there will be changes in texture, moisture content and colour parameters. It will not have the same quality of Sardo cheese ripened at 8 months due to that reduction of ripening periods will lead to a softer cheese with higher moisture content. If freeze drying is applied in short ripening periods, hardness will increase and moisture content will decrease, leading to product with similar quality as a long ripened cheese.Originality/Value- This research suggests that the addition of image texture features improves the accuracy of quality parameters prediction. It can be performed easily with a computer by recognizing attributes within an image. Quality in early ripening can be improved by freeze drying.