Short communication: A new minicurd model system for hard cooked cheeses

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Dairy Technology
• Cheese Manufacturing

Background:

• Developing reliable models for studying cheese properties is crucial for innovation.
• Young hard cheeses like Reggianito Argentino present unique challenges in laboratory-scale replication.
• Existing methods may not accurately capture the complex composition of cheese curds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a novel minicurd model for young hard cheese.
• To assess the repeatability of the minicurd model.
• To determine the impact of freezing on minicurd composition.

Main Methods:

• Separation and freezing of curd particles and whey from Reggianito Argentino cheese.
• Thawing and reconstitution of curd and whey mixtures.
• Laboratory-scale minicurd production.
• Analysis of pH, protein, moisture, sodium chloride, and microbial counts.

Main Results:

• The minicurd model demonstrated good repeatability.
• Freezing and thawing processes did not significantly alter minicurd composition.
• The minicurd composition was found to be representative of Reggianito Argentino cheese.

Conclusions:

• A validated minicurd model for young hard cheese has been successfully developed.
• The model is robust, with freezing not impacting its compositional integrity.
• This model provides a reliable tool for future research on Reggianito Argentino cheese.