Effects of Different Stretching Temperatures on Quality of Buffalo Milk Mozzarella Cheese

Abstract

Mozzarella cheese is a multifunctional food ingredient which has been use in pizza, soups and bakery products to impart unique flavor and texture. Many factors i.e. milk quality, culture, coagulation, whey drainage, milling, pH and stretching water temperature affect the various functional attributes of cheese. In this study mozzarella cheese curd was prepared by following traditional method and stretched at 65, 70, 75 and 80 oC. Afterwards, it was stored at 4 oC for 60 days and effect of storage and different temperatures was observed on rheological (texture, stretch-ability), physico-chemical (pH, acidity) and compositional properties (total nitrogen and mineral content) during 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 days. It was revealed that stretch-ability, texture and acidity increased with the passage of storage time. It was also revealed that the curd stretched at 80 oC showed higher stretch-ability and best textural properties during the storage period.