Microstructure and physicochemical properties reveal differences between high moisture buffalo and bovine Mozzarella cheeses

Hanh T H Nguyen; Lydia Ong; Christelle Lopez; Sandra E Kentish; Sally L Gras

doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2017.09.032

Microstructure and physicochemical properties reveal differences between high moisture buffalo and bovine Mozzarella cheeses

Food Res Int. 2017 Dec:102:458-467. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2017.09.032. Epub 2017 Sep 11.

Authors

Hanh T H Nguyen¹, Lydia Ong², Christelle Lopez³, Sandra E Kentish⁴, Sally L Gras⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010, Australia; The Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010, Australia; The ARC Dairy Innovation Hub, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010, Australia; Dairy Foods Team, Food and Bio-based Products Group, AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
² Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010, Australia; The Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010, Australia; The ARC Dairy Innovation Hub, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010, Australia.
³ STLO, UMR1253, INRA, Agrocampus Ouest, 35000 Rennes, France.
⁴ Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010, Australia; The ARC Dairy Innovation Hub, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010, Australia.
⁵ Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010, Australia; The Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010, Australia; The ARC Dairy Innovation Hub, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 29195973
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2017.09.032

Abstract

Mozzarella cheese is a classical dairy product but most research to date has focused on low moisture products. In this study, the microstructure and physicochemical properties of both laboratory and commercially produced high moisture buffalo Mozzarella cheeses were investigated and compared to high moisture bovine products. Buffalo and bovine Mozzarella cheeses were found to significantly differ in their microstructure, chemical composition, organic acid and proteolytic profiles but had similar hardness and meltability. The buffalo cheeses exhibited a significantly higher ratio of fat to protein and a microstructure containing larger fat patches and a less dense protein network. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry detected the presence of only β-casein variant A2 and a single β-lactoglobulin variant in buffalo products compared to the presence of both β-casein variants A1 and A2 and β-lactoglobulin variants A and B in bovine cheese. These differences arise from the different milk composition and processing conditions. The differences in microstructure and physicochemical properties observed here offer a new approach to identify the sources of milk used in commercial cheese products.

Keywords: Buffalo Mozzarella; Cheese microstructure; Lipid domains; Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry; Proteolysis; β-Lactoglobulin.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Buffaloes
Caseins / analysis*
Cattle
Cheese / analysis*
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Cryoelectron Microscopy
Food Handling / methods*
Glycolipids / analysis*
Glycoproteins / analysis*
Hardness
Hot Temperature
Lactoglobulins / analysis*
Lipid Droplets
Mass Spectrometry
Microscopy, Confocal
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
Proteolysis
Water / analysis

Substances

Caseins
Glycolipids
Glycoproteins
Lactoglobulins
milk fat globule
Water