Reversibility of the Temperature-Dependent Opacity of Nonfat Mozzarella Cheese

¹ Western Dairy Center, Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-8700
² Department of Microbiology, Weber State University, Ogden UT 84408-2506

Salted and unsalted nonfat mozzarella cheese was made by direct acidification and stored at 4°C over 60 d. Changes in cheese opacity were measured by using reflectance L* values while the cheese was heated from 10 to 90°C, then cooled to 10°C, and reheated to 90°C. A characteristic opacity transition temperature (T_OP) was obtained for each cheese. Both salt content and storage time influenced T_OP. Opacity during heating, cooling, and reheating formed a hysteresis. At d 1, the unsalted cheese became opaque when heated to 20°C, but the salted cheese required heating to 40°C. As the salted cheese was aged, its T_OP increased so that by 60 d the cheese did not become opaque until it was heated to 70°C.

Key Words: cheese • opacity • salt • storage • direct acidification

Submitted on December 7, 2000
Accepted on June 6, 2001

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