Effect of salt concentration and temperature on mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese texture

Cheese is a product made from ruminant milk such as cows, goats, sheep, and buffalo. Cheese is assumed to have existed from 8000 to 10,000 years ago in the Middle East. As time changes, the cheese manufacturers are affected by the demand from consumers. Nowadays, there are more than 1800 reported cheese variations in the world. The difference in the variation comes from the different salting processes, storage temperatures, and aging. The utilization of salt and temperature affect the cheese-making process of creating different cheese textures in terms of physical, sensory, and chemical properties. However, there is a lack of information on the effect of salt and temperature on the physical quality of cheese among small, local cheesemakers and manufacturers, especially those from rural areas. The objectives of this study are (1) to determine the effect of salt concentration on the physical properties of mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese, and (2) to identify the effect of temperature on the physical properties of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Two types of cheese were used in the study, mozzarella, and cheddar cheese. The cheese weighed 200g was cut into four strips and brined in three different salt concentrations: 10%, 20%, and 25% for 4 hours. The cheese was also vacuum-packed and kept at two different temperatures: 10oC and -10oC. Three days of trial were set: Day 5, Day 10, and Day 15. Two types of tests are done to determine the effect of the salt concentration and temperature. A compression test was done to determine the hardness of the cheese. A beam bending test was done to determine the cohesiveness and the ability of the cheese to resist the load. Results showed that the length of the compressed cheese was long in 10% salt brine solution at a temperature of -10oC and short in 25% salt brine solution at 10oC. The weight used in the beam bending test was higher in a 25% salt brine solution at 10oC and lower in a 10% salt brine solution at -10oC. It indicates that the higher the salt concentration and temperature used in the cheese-making process, the firmer and harder the cheese texture produced for both mozzarella and cheddar cheese.