The effect of cheese maturity on selected properties of processed cheese without traditional emulsifying agents

- Processed cheeses without emulsifying salts are a new group of products.
- The model samples were compared with products with emulsifying salts.
- The model samples were homogeneous regardless of the cheese maturity.
- Hardness of the model samples decrease with rising cheese maturity.
- Adhesiveness of the model samples increase with rising cheese maturity.

The aim of this work was to compare selected properties (hardness, cohesiveness, adhesiveness, characteristics of fat globules, pH, meltability and sensory characteristics - homogeneity, rigidity and flavour) of processed cheeses (dry matter content 40 g/100 g; fat in dry matter content 50 g/100 g) made with traditional emulsifying salts (sodium salts of phosphates) and products in which the traditional emulsifying salts were replaced with 1 g/100 g κ-carrageenan. The development of the above-mentioned properties was studied in dependence on the maturity level of cheese (raw material; 1-16 weeks' maturity). The samples made without the use of traditional emulsifying salts were nearly five times as hard as the products with phosphates regardless of the maturity level of cheese. In both types of samples, hardness was decreasing and adhesiveness was rising with the increasing maturity level of cheese. Meltability of the samples without traditional emulsifying salts was very low and remained practically unchanged with the increasing maturity level of cheese. On the other hand, in the processed cheeses with phosphates, meltability was increasing with the rising maturity level of cheese.