High heat treatment of goat cheese milk. The effect on yield, composition, proteolysis, texture and sensory quality of cheese during ripening

White brined goat cheeses were produced from milk heated to 80 °C/5 min and 90 °C/5 min using an identical cheese making procedure, and they were compared with the control cheese made from milk subjected to common pasteurisation (65 °C/30 min). High heat treatment of goat cheese milk resulted in significant increase of cheese yield. It also significantly affected cheese composition by incorporating higher levels of moisture, fat and whey proteins. The pH values of experimental cheeses decreased during ripening. Degradation of αS-casein was inhibited due to the high heat treatment of milk, while β-casein degradation and secondary proteolysis were not significantly affected. The effect on textural properties was significant, but the same for both experimental cheeses. Contrary to expectations, the cheese obtained from milk heated to 90 °C/5 min received the best scores for sensory characteristics (flavour and texture) at all ripening stages.