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An evaluation of food gums for encapsulating enzymes to accelerate cheese ripening

Selected food gums (hydrocolloids) were tested for their abilities to encapsulate enzymes for acclerating cheese ripening. The effect of pH and acidity on gel strength of the gums was determined. Enzyme was entrapped in k-carrageenan, gellan gum and milk fat and incorporated into cheese milk prior to cheese making. The cheese produced was tested for protein breakdown and amino acid production during ripening and textural and sensory properties of the ripened cheese were also evaluated. The findings and significance of this study and the literature review are presented. Gels were produced from alginate. Most gels showed reduced strength after treatment in solutions of either modified acidities or pH. There was, however, no significant change in gel strength between the different treatments for most of the gums. The activity of encapsulated enzyme were also investigated. Enzymes encapsulated in k-carrageenan, gellan and alginate gums retained higher activities than the other gums studied. Enzymes entrapped in agar gels had the least retention of activity. The retention of enzyme capsules produced from gellan, k-carrageenan and milk fat in cheese curd was investigated. Loss of encapsulated enzymes in cheese whey was also determined. Enzyme loss in the whey ranged from 5.6 to 17.9% with the highest losses observed with milk fat and the least with gellan gum capsules. Most of the cheeses treated with enzyme capsules showed higher levels of amino acid within two weeks than control cheese. After two weeks, all experimental cheeses showed higher production of amino acids than the control cheese. The addition of enzyme capsule to cheese did lead to a higher growth level of microorganisms. The experimental cheese exhibited lower score than the control cheese for most textural properties. The experimental cheeses were not significantly different in flavour and aroma from the control cheese. K-carrageenan treated cheeses were recorded as having the highest score for bitter after taste. Except for those cheeses treated with k-carrageenan capsules, the overall acceptability for the trial cheeses were not significantly different from that of 6 month old untreated cheese. / Master of Science (Hons)

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/182390
Date January 1997
CreatorsLam, Henry, University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, Faculty of Science, Technology and Agriculture, School of Food Science
Source SetsAustraliasian Digital Theses Program
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
SourceTHESIS_FSTA_SFS_Lam_H.xml

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