The effect of the pH at cooking on the properties of processed cheese spreads containing whey proteins

Processed cheese spreads were made with and without whey proteins under varying cooking pH conditions. The processed cheeses were cooked at one pH value and at the end of the cooking process the pH was adjusted to the final product pH of 5.7. The rheological properties and whey protein denaturation levels of the processed cheese spreads were measured. The rheological properties and texture of the processed cheeses containing whey proteins could be markedly modified by varying the cooking pH during processing, whereas those without whey proteins were unaffected. These textural modifications could not be explained solely by the changes in whey protein denaturation during cooking. It is proposed that the interactions of the whey proteins during cooking affect the processed cheese texture, and that these interactions are affected by the pH of the processed cheese during processing.