Studies on the Flavor of Creamed Cottage Cheese

Abstract

The biacetyl contents of 41 samples of commercial creamed cottage cheese obtained from retail stores ranged from 0 to 3.2 ppm; 73.1% of the samples contained less than 10 ppm and 95.1% contained less than 2.0 ppm. The maximum amount of biacetyl capable of being produced by a lactic culture is not attained at the time of cutting the curd. A partition of milk constituents and flavor compounds occurs during cottage cheese manufacture. The whey fraction contains considerably more citric acid, lactose, biacetyl, and acetylmethyl-carbinol than the curd. However, a proportionate amount of the biacetyl present at the time of cutting is retained by the cheese and the use of a culture producing considerable biacetyl results in cheese with a correspondingly higher biacetyl content. The addition of citric acid to a creaming mixture for cottage cheese did not result in an increased biacetyl content when the cheese was held at 45[degree]F. The addition of both citric acid and lactic culture to a creaming mixture for cottage cheese increased the biacetyl content when the holding temperature was 45[degree]F but a sour flavor was evident after several days'' storage.