Mozzarella and Cheddar Cheese Manufacture by Ultrafiltration Principles

Skim milk was concentrated selectively by various types of ultrafiltration to the maximum amounts of protein normally present in Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese and made into these cheeses. Process feasibility and product characteristics were observed. Mozzarella-type cheeses prepared with retentate from diafiltration displayed good to excellent flavor and body. They stretched satisfactorily after 24h at 5C and improved for up to 4 wk. Melt-down of cheese that was 1-day old was relatively unsatisfactory, but melt-down improved significantly after 4 wk at 5C. Cheeses of pH 5.1 gave better melt-down than those of pH 5.2. Retentate made by a single diafiltration and homogenization gave the most acceptable Cheddar cheese of various ultrafiltration treatments, but was crumbly and corky in body and lacked typical cheese flavor when compared to conventionally made-Cheddar. Initially, volatile fatty acids and soluble nitrogen were higher in cheese made by ultrafiltration, but during ripening, they lagged behind the controls. Mozzarella cheese displayed a greater potential for cheesemaking by ultrafiltration than Cheddar.