Quality control in cheese

The Cheese:

The definition of the Sanitary Control Regulation of Products and Services, of the General Law of
Health indicates that cheese is the product made from standardized milk curds and
pasteurized from cow or other animal species, with or without the addition of cream, obtained by
coagulation of protein (casein) with rennet, lactic bacteria, appropriate enzymes and/or acids;
that is to say, the cheeses must be made with the fat from the milk, therefore, the presence
of vegetable fat, regardless of its percentage, means that the product is not cheese but
imitation, according to what is stated in the aforementioned Regulation: "imitations are the
products made with ingredients or procedures different from those used in production
of the one who pretends to imitate and whose appearance is similar to this one.
Cheese is a preserve obtained by the coagulation of milk and by acidification.
dehydration of the curd. It is a concentration of the solids of the milk with the addition of:
Rennet to coagulate the milk, bacterial cultures for acidification of the
curd, food salt to taste of the consumer and calcium chloride to improve the disposition to
coagulation, according to (Dubach, 1998).
The milk intended for cheese making can be sheep or goat milk, but most of it
It is from a cow.

To make a good cheese, it is necessary to use milk of excellent quality, which comes from a
healthy and well-fed animal, and that is subjected to a thermal treatment that guarantees the
destruction of the bacteria that cause diseases (pasteurization). It is also
indispensable that the milking process and all subsequent manipulations of the raw material
they are carried out under conditions of strict hygiene.

Classification of cheeses

In order for a cheese to be called cheese, vegetable fats cannot be used in its production.
starches and flours. The label must indicate the minimum content of protein and fat, thus
as the maximum moisture. Cheeses can be made from whole milk, partially
descremada, semidescremada, descremada, crema o doble crema y su clasificación es la
next:

Fresh.
It is characterized by its high moisture content, mild flavor, and a lifespan of
short shelf life, so it must be refrigerated.
Fresh cheeses include: canasto, panela, fresco, ranchero, sierra, blanco.
enchilado, adobado, oaxaca, asadero, mozzarella, morral, adobera, cottage, crema, doble
cream, petit suisse, etcetera.

b) Matured.
These are the cheeses of hard, semi-hard, or soft paste, subjected to a process of
maturation through the addition of microorganisms, molds, or bacteria under conditions
 controlled time, temperature, and humidity to induce biochemical changes in them
physical properties, which give them the characteristic consistency and flavor.
Aquí se encuentran los quesos: cheddar, chester, chihuahua, manchego, brick, edam, gouda,
gruyere, emmental, cheshire, holandés, amsterdam, butterkase, cabrales, camembert,
Roquefort and Danablu, among others.

c) Processed.
Result of the mixture of melted aged cheeses, which can be added to
ingredients and spices; within this classification are the melted and spreadable cheeses,
like yellow cheese and most of those sold in square slices.

Characteristics of fresh and aged cheese

. Mold numbers
. Yield: cheese weight * 100 / milk weight
. Weight at the beginning of maturation and weight at the end of maturation (mature cheeses)
. pH cheese
. Acidity: Dornic degrees or lactic acid
. Fat
. Microbiological analysis: Total coliforms (absence of E. coli)
. Sensory analysis: characteristics of the type of cheese. Exterior appearance, interior appearance,
texture, smell, aroma, and flavor.

Parameters that affect texture

It has generally been observed that the ripening temperature and the milk proteins
contribute to the firmness of the product, while the milk fat provides smoothness to the
cheese, therefore the greater the amount of fat, the cheese is softer and smoother (Lebecque et al.
2001).
A low moisture content in the cheese matrix leads to limited hydration of the
protein, less freedom of movement. On the contrary, cheese with high moisture content
results in a weaker and less firm structure. Salt promotes the rigidity of cheese
since it is responsible for the reduction of free water (Inocente et al. 2002).

According to (Lawrence et al. 1987), the texture of cheeses highly depends on their pH and on the
intact proportion between the casein and the moisture of the cheese, since changes in pH are
directly related to chemical changes in the protein network of the cheese. When the pH
The cheese decreases, resulting in a loss of colloidal calcium phosphate from the submicelles of casein and low
pH 5.5 or close to it, a progressive dissociation of the submicelles into aggregates occurs.
smaller casein. If the pH of the cheese approaches the isoelectric point of casein (pH:
At 4.6, the protein takes on a more compact conformation and the texture of the cheese becomes smoother.

Defects of cheese
The anomalies caused by defective techniques or abnormal fermentations
(contaminating microorganisms).
Defects can occur within the cheese (body and texture defects and defects of
color) or in the external appearance (bark defects)

Swelling

Swelling is characterized by a more or less pronounced convexity of the surfaces.

cheese plans, caused by internal gas fermentations leading to the formation of numerous
eyes.
Swelling can appear in the first few days or after a period of 1 or 2 months.

early swelling

It appears in the first days after manufacturing.

This effect is due to the fermentation of lactose (first 3 days).
In a tub, the curd grain becomes fluffy with gas bubbles and floats in the
surface of the serum; it can also be verified in the press (levers of the presses are
raised and pushed by the increase in the volume of cheese.

Yeast fermentation

Yeasts, sugar fermenters, produce violent fermentations with formation

turbulent gas.
The cheese has numerous openings of irregular size (close and torn eyes)
and with a characteristic smell of vinegary alcohol.

Fermentation by coliform bacteria

Coli group bacteria ferment lactose producing lactic acid, CO2, and H.
The cheese mass becomes leathery, the taste remains spicy, bitter, unpleasant, and
the table presents numerous small diameter eyes (pinhead)

Delayed swelling

It appears one or two months after manufacturing.

It is characterized by a more pronounced increase in volume during the swelling, along with the
formation of very numerous and larger diameter eyes, sometimes causing
cracks on the surface of the cheese.
If the cheese is quite hard, the openings appear as angular cracks.
Swelling due to Clostridium: CL butyricum and tyrobutyricum. It produces from the lactates.
butyric acid (gives unpleasant flavors), alcohol, CO2 and H.

2. Defects of the bark caused by microorganisms

 . La formación de pigmentos o decoloración en el queso por m.o. se debe a la falta de
care in the ripening chambers (contamination).
. The blackening of the surface can be caused by fungi (monilia nigra)
disintegration of the crust
. El Penicillium casei produce puntos café en la corteza.
. The red spots and the disintegration of the rind of hard cheeses can be
provoked by the Oospora aurantiaca.
. Cortex disintegrated by mites: Typolideus casi onds, Typolideus longilar and
Tyroglyphus siro.
. The defects of the shell can largely be eliminated with careful washing.
and the salting.

3: other defects of the cortex

a) Cracks and fissures

The crust cannot withstand the inner pressure and opens.

Hits from cheeses and fabrics or linings in poor condition.
Ripening in very dry environments and with poor air circulation.
Excessive speed in camera.
Poor union of cheese aggregates (cutting cheeses)

b) Weak crust

Low salt content in the brine. Causes proteolysis of the shell.

Insufficient time in low temperatures of brine.
Attack of yeasts and micrococcus coming from the brine (they cause degradation)
from the maturing bark).

wrinkled bark

Puede ser también por excesiva humedad de la masa

Ripening chambers with high humidity.
Accumulation of acidity in it.

d) Separation of the crust

Very concentrated brines and at a higher temperature.

They cause a buildup of salt in the crust, which shrinks and separates from the
cheese mass.

Gelatinous cortex

New brines that lack buffer elements (Ca and P).

 Stopped fermentations or higher cheese pH.

f) Moldy bark

It is favored by the high humidity of the chamber and poor air circulation.
Falta de limpieza de la cámara

Materials:

. Swiss cheese (huacariz)

. Swiss cheese (green sierra)
. Swiss cheese (mackey)
. Swiss cheese (porcon)
. Swiss cheese (glory)
. Market cheese
. A knife

Methodology:

Determine the characteristics of fresh and aged cheese

. Sensory analysis: characteristics of the type of cheese. Exterior appearance, interior appearance.
texture, smell, aroma, and flavor.

Determine the defects of the cheeses

Swelling

Early swelling: In the tub, the curd grain becomes spongy with gas bubbles and
floats on the surface of the serum.

Yeast fermentation: The cheese has numerous openings of size

irregular (eyes close together and ragged) and with a characteristic smell of vinegar alcohol.

Fermentation by coliform bacteria: The mass of the cheese becomes

leathery, the taste is spicy, bitter, unpleasant, and the dough shows numerous
small diameter eyes (pinhead)

Late swelling
It is characterized by a more pronounced increase in volume during the swelling, with the formation
with very numerous and larger diameter eyes, sometimes causing angular cracks in
the surface of the cheese.

Defects of the bark caused by microorganisms

 . The blackening of the surface can be caused by fungi (monilia nigra)
(disintegration of the bark). Penicillium casei produces brown spots on the bark.
. The red spots and the disintegration of the crust of hard cheeses can be
provoked by Oospora aurantiaca.

Other defects of the cortex

. Cracks and fissures

. Weak bark
. Wrinkled bark
. Separation of the crust.
. gelatinous cortex
. Moldy bark

Discussions

Salt promotes the rigidity of cheese as it is responsible for the reduction of free water.
(Inocente et al. 2002).
In the practice conducted, this difference was noticed in that the saltier cheeses (market cheese,
Mackey) exhibited greater rigidity in their structure compared to those of high humidity (less
salty: Porcon cheese, green sierra

Conclusions and recommendations

We concluded that in the quality evaluation of cheeses, it was determined that Swiss cheeses of
Porcon and Sierra Verde presented pinhole-type openings, that is, caused by total coliforms.
determining that there is no hygiene in the preparation of that product; and those that presented
angular holes were the cheese of the market.

To obtain better results, all the corresponding tests must be conducted.

but in practice it was not carried out due to a lack of materials and instruments.

Bibliography