Instrumental Textural and Viscoelastic Properties of Processed Cheese as Affected by Emulsifying Salts and in Relation to its Apparent Viscosity

The effect of five different emulsifying salts on the texture of processed cheese was studied using two different chemical compositions, one that corresponds to block-type products and another that gives spreadable-type samples. Texture profile analysis and stress relaxation tests were applied to the block-type processed cheeses, while the spreadable-type samples were subjected to oscillatory shear test. Measurements of the apparent viscosity of processed cheese during processing were carried out, using a capillary viscometer, in order to relate it with the texture of the final product. Trisodium citrate and disodium phosphate exhibited similar behavior and produced the softest, most adhesive, least elastic, and most liquid-like final products that showed reduced apparent viscosity during processing. Tetrasodium pyrophosphate gave harder, less adhesive, more elastic, and more solid-like samples, with higher apparent viscosity than pentasodium tripolyphosphate. Sodium hexametaphosphate produced cheeses that exhibited the lowest apparent viscosity during processing and the highest textural (except adhesiveness and stringiness) and viscoelastic properties (stress relaxation test).