Texture changes during the ripening of Port Salut Argentino cheese in two sampling zones

VERDINI, RA; RUBIOLO, AC

JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE

Institute of Food Technologists

Año: 2002 vol. 7 p. 1808 - 1813

0022-1147

Texture changes during ripening of Port Salut Argentino cheese for different sampling zones were studied. Compression relaxation tests were performed and results were analyzed using both Maxwellian and Peleg’s models. Elastic equilibrium modulus obtained from the Maxwellian model decreased from 1.22 to 0.11 104 Pa during ripening. The constants derived from Peleg’s model, k1 and k2, diminished with ripening time from 1.18 to 0.71 min and from 1.27 to 1.12, respectively. Asymptotic equilibrium modulus from Peleg’s model decreased from 0.95 to 0.07 104 Pa during ripening. Rate parameters derived from a first order kinetics applied to both equilibrium moduli showed that the decrease was faster in the external zone (0.0846 day-1) than in the central zone (0.0368 day-1). The correlation between equilibrium moduli, salt concentration, moisture content, and maturation indexes was obtained with a determination coefficient of  0.76.