Influence of calcium chloride addition to milk on the cheese yield

Abstract

The effect of adding calcium chloride (0.01%) on the yield of cheese was investigated over the period o fone year (n = 73 paired comparisons). It was found that the aditive increased the yield significantly (P < 0.04) by 38 g 100 kg-1 cheesemilk compared to controle cheese (no aditive). A seasonal trend was also observed; larger yield diferences being obtained in the spring-summer months. An increase in the proportion of curd particles with mesh size between 5.5 and 7.5 mm and a decrease in particles smaller than 3.5 mm was also observed. The increase in the yield of cheese was attributed to a slightly hogher transfer of milkfat and milk solids non-fat into the curd, although the diferences obtained were not statistically significant. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd 

Introduction 

Calcium exists in milk in different forms: soluble, ionic, casein-bound, coloidal; according to Holt (1985), the following distribution is likely to occur in milk: 2 mmol L-1 ionic, 10 mmol L-1 soluble (including ionic) and about 20 mmol L-1 colloidal (including casein-bound). The equilibrium between the soluble and coloidal forms is especially dependent on the pH, temperature and ionic strength (Viser et al., 1986; Le Graet; Brule, 1993). CaCl2 is usually added to cheese milk to help coagulation, but although this is standard practice in several cheesemaking procedures, it is not universally used; normal levels of addition are in the range of 0-0.02%. Addition of calcium (Gastaldi et al., 1994), resulting in more casein-bound calcium (Knoop and Peters, 1976). The mechanism by which calcium affects the renneting process is not yet fully undesrtood (van Hooydonk et al., 1986). It is recognized that the addition not only increases the calcium concentration, but also reduces the pH of milk (Flüeler and Puhan, 1987; van Hooydonk and van den Berg, 1988), resulting in an increased aggregation rate (Mehaia and Cheeryan, 1983; Gastaldi et al., 1994). Also, it has been observed that the voluminosity of rennet-treated casein micelles is affected by calcium addition (van Hooydonk et al., 1986); the more the voluminosity tends to decrease. A critical level of calcium is needed to induce aggregation of renneted casein micelles and the acceleration of the clotting process is due to the combined affect of the increase in calcium concentration as such and the decrease in pH (Flüeler and Puhan, 1978; van Hooydonk et al., 1986). In addition, the heat treatment of the milk has an influence on the partition of calcium between the soluble and coloidal forms (Zurav et al., 1986; Visser et al., 1986); the micellar form increases because of the milk heat treatment. This i salso reflected in its cheesemaking properties. The best compromisse between gel firmness, coagulation rate and viscoelastic properties has been obtained for an enzymatic coagulation at pH 6.6 with the addition of 160 mg CaCl2 kg -1 (Noel, 1989).

In the IDF (1991) monograph on cheese yield, many factors that affect cheese yield during processing, over which the cheesemaker has control, were described. The Only paper which referred to the effect of CaCl2 addition on yield was by Lawrence (1991), quoting Walstra et al. (1987) who calculated that the addition of 1 mmol  CaCl2L-1 yields abaout 30 g of extra cheese per 100kg of milk. Adding more than 3 mmol CaCl2L-1 milk has a negative effect on the firmness of emmentaler cheese (Tschager, 1984; Jager, 1986), and the correct dosage influences positively the cheese yield, e. g. 10mg Ca 100 mL-1 milk (= 2.5 mmol CaCl2L-1 milk) for Emmentaler (Tschager, 1984).

We have assessed over a period o fone year the yield of an Emmental-like cheese made form milk with or withoout the addition of CaCl2. No attempt was made to elucidate the mechanism responsible for the observed effect on cheese. Therefore, no pH or gel strenght measurements were made. The results of these practical observations are presented below.

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[103] WOLFSCHOON-POMBO, A. F. Influence of calcium chloride addition to milk on the cheese yield. Int. Dairy Journal, v. 7, p. 249-254, 1997.