ARS | Publication request: Activation energy measurements of cheese

Submitted to: American Chemical Society National Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 1, 2010
Publication Date: August 22, 2010
Citation: Tunick, M.H. 2010. Activation energy measurements of cheese [abstract]. American Chemical Society National Meeting. AGFD 232.

Technical Abstract: Temperature sweeps of cheeses using small amplitude oscillatory shear tests produced values for activation energy of flow (Ea) between 30 and 44 deg C. Soft goat cheese and Queso Fresco, which are high-moisture cheeses and do not flow when heated, exhibited Ea values between 30 and 60 kJ/mol. The semi-hard cheeses Cheddar, Colby, whole milk Mozzarella, and low-moisture part-skim Mozzarella do flow upon heating, and their Ea values were in the 100-150 kJ/mol range. Parmesan, a low-moisture cheese, has a rigid structure that takes longer to soften with heat, leading to an Ea value > 180 kJ/mol. Protein and moisture content were highly correlated with Ea. The determination of Ea allows a number to be assigned to the extent at which a cheese sample melts with heat, and together with elastic modulus, viscous modulus, and complex viscosity provides a picture of the behavior of cheese as it is heated. This information will allow manufacturers to have a better idea of the functionality of their products.