Increasing cheese yields by high heat treatment of milk

SUMMARY Milk was heated at 97 °C/15 s to denature ∼ 30% of the whey protein and then used to make Cheshire cheese. Measurements of para-κ-casein production indicated that heating milk did not inhibit the enzymic action of rennet, but additional Ca and an initial pH of 6·4 were required for normal coagulation and curd-firming. In the experimental cheeses, about 4·5% more dry matter was recovered compared with controls made with pasteurized milk owing to a 6·7 and 0·7% increase in protein and fat recovery respectively. Experimental cheeses tended to be too moist and the curds did not fuse as well but these problems could be overcome by raising the scald temperature and cheddaring the curds. When the moisture in non-fat solids of control and experimental cheeses was similar (61%), the flavours and textures were not significantly different. The procedure requires little modification to existing commercial plant and should be suitable for varieties of cheese with higher moisture content and more crumbly texture than Cheddar.