Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 26, 2026
08:49
A Simple Method for High Throughput Chemical Screening in Caenorhabditis Elegans
Published on: March 20, 2018
9.4K
A Simple Method for Estimating the Extent of Surface Crystal Development on Colored Cheddar Cheese
Stephen T Dybing1, Steven A Brudvig1, James A Wiegand1
1Cheese Research Group, Research and Development, Land O'Lakes, Inc., P.O. Box 116, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55440-0116.
Journal of Food Protection
|April 10, 2019
Summary
A new, non-destructive photocopying method accurately estimates crystal development on Cheddar cheese surfaces. This technique allows for extended shelf-life studies without altering cheese conditions.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Dairy Technology
- Quality Assessment
Background:
- Crystal formation (e.g., calcium lactate) is a common phenomenon in aged Cheddar cheese.
- Quantifying crystal development is crucial for assessing cheese quality and predicting shelf life.
- Existing methods for crystal assessment can be destructive or time-consuming.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a simple, non-destructive method for estimating crystal development on colored Cheddar cheese surfaces.
- To provide a standardized rating scale for crystal growth.
- To enable extended shelf-life studies on the same cheese samples.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a standard photocopier with calibrated exposure settings to capture cheese surface images.
- Developing a visual comparison scale based on photocopies of cheese with designated crystal growth levels (0-4).
- Assessing crystal development by comparing cheese surface photocopies to the established scale.
Main Results:
- The photocopying method provides a clear and reproducible estimation of crystal development.
- Crystal development was successfully categorized into five distinct levels (0-4).
- The method is non-destructive, preserving the cheese's environmental conditions for further analysis.
Conclusions:
- Photocopying offers a practical and accessible tool for quantifying crystal formation in Cheddar cheese.
- This technique supports extended shelf-life studies by maintaining sample integrity.
- The method's efficacy may be limited with white cheeses or those lacking flat surfaces.
Related Concept Videos
03:02Colors and Magnetism
14.0K
Color in Coordination Complexes
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human...
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human...
14.0K
02:58Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes
30.8K
Crystal Field Theory
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
30.8K
01:24Color Vision
1.4K
Color perception begins in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Two main theories explain how colors are seen: the trichromatic theory and the opponent-process theory. The trichromatic theory, proposed by Thomas Young in 1802 and extended by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1852, suggests that color vision is based on three types of cone receptors in the retina. These cones are sensitive to different but overlapping ranges of wavelengths corresponding to red, blue, and green.
1.4K
01:21Development of Analytical Methods
1.8K
An analytical methodology can be divided into four sequential steps: technique, method, procedure, and protocol. A technique is a scientific principle that rationalizes a specific phenomenon through chemical measurements. Adapting a technique for analyzing a sample of interest is termed a method. The procedure outlines the directions for performing the analysis via an analytical method. The protocol is the detailed guidelines on the procedure, which should be strictly followed to obtain the...
1.8K
02:42Ionic Crystal Structures
16.9K
Ionic crystals consist of two or more different kinds of ions that usually have different sizes. The packing of these ions into a crystal structure is more complex than the packing of metal atoms that are the same size.
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
16.9K
01:25Crystal Growth: Principles of Crystallization
4.9K
Crystallization is a phase transformation process in which crystals are precipitated from a supersaturated solution or formed from other sources. During crystallization, atoms or molecules arrange themselves into a well-defined, rigid crystal lattice to minimize energy.
Initiating crystallization involves manipulating the concentration of the solute and the temperature of the solution. Since crystal growth occurs when the ratio of concentration and solubility of the solute in the solvent...
Initiating crystallization involves manipulating the concentration of the solute and the temperature of the solution. Since crystal growth occurs when the ratio of concentration and solubility of the solute in the solvent...
4.9K