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Modification of the Curd Firmness Test for Cottage Cheese¹

Engineering Research Service and Food Research Institute, Research Branch, Canada Department of Agriculture, Ottawa

ABSTRACT

The Cherry-Burrell curd-tension meter was modified by Irvine (2) to measure the resistance of Cheddar cheese curd to the passage of a wire through a block of the cheese. Emmons and Price (1) adapted this modification for use with Cottage cheese. This resistance was found to be directly related to the firmness of the curd as determined organoleptically for both types of cheese (1, 2).

This note describes further modifications which increase the precision of measurement and provide a permanent record of each measurement on a strip-chart. The dietetic scale was replaced with a strain-gauge transducer coupled to an amplifier and strip-chart recorder for measuring force required to cut the curd. The length of the cutting edge was increased by using three parallel wires instead of one. The drive mechanism was changed from a gear-drive to a screw-drive.

Figures 1 and 2 show the new apparatus. Three parallel wires, 0.4 mm in diameter and 1.0 cm apart, held in a circular frame, move downwards at a rate of 0.29 cm/sec.

¹ Contribution no. 75, from Engineering Research Service, and no. 33 from Food Research Institute, Research Branch, Canada Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Canada.