Fat Degradation in Cheddar Cheese Made from Pasteurized Milk, Without and With Added Lipase

Abstract

The fat acidities of different lots of cheddar cheese made from pasteurized milk without added lipase were very similar when the cheese were 3 days old. The av. fat acidities increased rather uniformly from month to month and there was no evidence of an acceleration of fat hydrolysis. Addition of a small amt. of rennet paste (13 to 40 g. per 1000 lbs. milk) to the milk resulted in an increase in fat acidity of the cheese; addition of larger amts. (50-225 g. per 1000 lbs. milk) resulted in more significant increases in fat acidity. Cheese made with small amts. of rennet paste showed some rancidity early in the ripening, but this rancidity disappeared or nearly disappeared before the cheese were 6 months old. Cheese made with larger amts. of rennet paste showed rancidity at some time during the ripening and certain lots were rancid when the cheese were 6 months old. Cheese made with rennet paste and in which the rancidity had disappeared, were superior in flavor to regular pasteurized milk cheese made without rennet paste. Addition of mulberry juice to pasteurized milk did not improve the flavor of the resulting cheese. Small amts. had little effect on the flavor while larger amts. resulted in rancid and unclean flavors. Different lots of mulberries showed differences in their ability to hydrolyze cheese fat; white berries were more lipolytic than red berries. The use of a small amt. of aged cheese showing definite fat hydrolysis was beneficial from the standpoint of flavor of process cheese.