INFLUENCE OF PACKAGING CONDITIONS ON THE TEXTURAL AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS, MICROSTRUCTURE AND COLOR OF INDUSTRIALLY PRODUCED TURKISH WHITE CHEESE DURING RIPENING

• Published in: Journal of texture studies 2010-08, Vol.41 (4), p.549-562
• Main Authors: AKALIN, AYŞE SIBEL, KARAMAN, AYŞE DEMET
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Methods of analysis, processing and quality control, regulation, standards; Packaging; ripening; texture; Turkish white cheese
• ISSN: 0022-4901; 1745-4603
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-4603.2010.00241.x

A full-fat Turkish white cheese was manufactured on an industrial scale and then packaged in a polystyrene container with brine containing 12% salt or a plastic pouch sealed under vacuum, before ripening for 90 days. With regard to textural characteristics, packaging in a plastic pouch resulted in cheeses with significantly higher hardness and cohesiveness (P < 0.05). Scanning electron micrographs showed a more compact and denser protein matrix for the cheese packed in the plastic pouch. Much yellowness was also obtained in cheeses with the plastic pouch (P < 0.05). The experimental cheeses had a similar sensory characteristics in the first 45 days (P > 0.05), but the taste and odor scores decreased in the cheeses packaged with the plastic pouch (P < 0.05) in the 60th and 90th days. Turkish white cheese is generally ripened for 3 months in brine and marketed in a can or polystyrene package containing brine. Recently, cheese molds have been packaged in a plastic pouch without brine. The textural and sensory characteristics and color of the industrially produced Turkish white cheese packaged in a plastic pouch under vacuum or polystyrene container with brine were examined during storage. Higher hardness and cohesiveness was obtained by packaging in a plastic pouch; a more yellow color was also detected in the cheese with a plastic pouch. Sensory characteristics were not influenced by the packaging conditions during the first 45 days of storage, however, the taste and odor scores of the cheese with a plastic pouch were lower after 60 and 90 days.