Crystallization and demineralization phenomena in stabilized white mold cheese

Stabilized white mold cheese is a commercially important variant of traditional white mold cheese (sometimes called bloomy rind cheese) that has an extended shelf life compared with the traditional permutation. The objectives of this observational study were to document mineral element movements and the development of a pH gradient in stabilized white mold cheese, and to use novel crystallographic techniques to identify crystals that form in the rind of this cheese. Cheeses from 3 separate batches were collected from a commercial supplier at d 1, 4, 10, 14, and 18 of aging and analyzed in a randomized block design. Samples from the center and rind of each cheese were analyzed for calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, and moisture content. The effect of location within the cheese wheel was significant for all effects, whereas the effect of aging time was significant for all effects except sodium content. The interaction between location within the cheese and aging time was significant for all effects. Using powder x-ray diffractometry, the crystals that formed in the rind during aging were identified as brushite (CaHPO₄ · 2H₂O). The accumulation of mineral elements in the rind resulted in a substantial decrease in calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus in the center. After 18 d, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus in the center had decreased by 26.4, 14.8, and 12.1%, respectively, compared with the first day of aging. The observations in the present study represent the first definitive identification of crystals in the rind of a white mold cheese. The use of novel crystallographic techniques in the present study lays the groundwork for the use of this technology in future investigations of mineral element diffusion phenomena in surface-ripened cheese.