The change in textural quality of cheese
during frozen storage is of concern to the
frozen food industry. Many food products
such as frozen pizza and dinner entrees are
stored at !0.5EF or below for extended
periods of time. Food manufacturers have
noted detrimental changes including reduced
elasticity of cheese on pizza or the absence of
melt in filled products. Dynamic rheological
testing was used to determine the changes in
Cheddar, Colby, and Mozzarella cheeses
during frozen storage. Slices of cheese were
tested at day 0 and after 30 days of storage at
!0.5EF. Elastic attributes were measured at
40, 70, and 194EF. Results indicated that
frozen storage reduced the elastic properties
of all three cheeses. When cheeses were
subjected to higher temperatures, the elastic
properties decreased. These changes could be
attributed to proteolysis, chemical composition,
and component interactivity. Dynamic
testing is rapid and may be a method of
choice for cheese manufacturers to determine
shelf life and quality.
