Time and Temperature Influence on Chemical Aging Indicators for a Commercial Cheddar Cheese

Cooling freshly formed Cheddar cheese requires close control for uniform and consistent flavor. Cheese in 18–kg blocks collected after pressing, at 30–35°C was used. Samples were cooled rapidly to 12 25°C as small pieces individually vacuum‐wrapped at a local production site. The extent of proteolysis, total acidity, pH, lactose and organic acids was quantified after storage at these temperatures. Theoretical and empirical equations describing the influence of time and temperature on these chemical indicators were developed through nonlinear statistical methods. The kinetic expressions were applied to generate recommendations for the cooling rate and subsequent aging temperature of Cheddar cheese blocks.