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Enhanced Lactose Cheese Milk does not Guarantee Calcium Lactate Crystals in Finished Cheddar Cheese

Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Washington State University, Pullman 99164-6376

Corresponding author: Stephanie Clark; e-mail: stephclark{at}wsu.edu.

Three experimental batches of Cheddar cheese were manufactured in duplicate, with standardization of the initial cheese-milk lactose content to high (5.24%), normal (4.72%, control), and low lactose (3.81%). After 35 d of aging at 4.4°C, the cheeses were subjected to temperature abuse (24 h at 21°C, unopened) and contamination (24 h at 21°C, packages opened and cheeses contaminated with crystal-containing cheese). After aging for 167 d, residual cheese lactose (0.08 to 0.43%) and L(+)-lactate concentrations (1.37 to 1.60%) were high and D(–)-lactate concentrations were low (<0.03%) for all cheeses. No significant differences in lactose concentrations were attributable to temperature abuse or contamination. No significant differences in L(+)- or D(–)-lactate concentrations were attributable to temperature abuse. However, concentrations of L(+)-lactate were significantly lower and D(–)-lactate were significantly higher in contaminated cheeses than in control cheeses, indicating inoculation (at d 35) with heterofermentative nonstarter lactic acid bacteria able to racemize L(+)-lactate to D(–)-lactate. The fact that none of the cheeses exhibited crystals after 167 d demonstrates that high cheese milk or residual lactose concentrations do not guarantee crystal formation. Contamination with nonstarter lactic acid bacteria can significantly contribute to D(–)-lactate accumulation in cheese.

Key Words: lactose • calcium lactate crystal • Cheddar cheese • lactic acid

Abbreviation key: CLC = calcium lactate crystals, HL = high lactose (5.24%), LL = wlow lactose (3.81%), NL = normal lactose (4.72%), NSLAB = nonstarter lactic acid bacteria, S/M = salt in moisture, TA = titratable acidity, TACS = temperature abuse closed system, TAOS = temperature abuse open system.

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