ARS | Publication request: Determining characteristics of melting cheese by activation energy

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: February 8, 2012
Publication Date: March 20, 2012
Citation: Tunick, M.H. 2012. Determining characteristics of melting cheese by activation energy. Spring Symposium of Thermal Analysis Forum of Delaware Valley Meeting Abstract. P.3.

Technical Abstract: Activation energy of flow (Ea) between 30 and 44 deg C was measured from temperature sweeps of various cheeses to determine its usefulness in predicting rheological behavior upon heating. Seven cheese varieties were heated in a rheometer from 22 to 70 deg C, and Ea was calculated from the resulting Arrhenius plots. Cheddar, Colby, full-fat Mozzarella, and low moisture part-skim Mozzarella flowed upon heating, with Ea values between 100 and 150 kJ/mol. The Ea values for soft goat cheese and Queso Fresco, which did not flow when heated, were between 30 and 60 kJ/mol. Parmesan flowed rapidly upon heating, with an Ea > 180 kJ/mol. Ea provides an objective means of measuring the flow of cheese, and together with other rheological analyses provides a picture of the behavior of cheese as it is heated.