TECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES ON SMOKED CHEESE

Abstract

Mozzarella or Pizza cheese is one of the pasta filata family cheese which is now well known and widely spread in most countries of the world. Mozzarella cheese gained a special importance for filling the top of pizza pie. A steady increase in Mozzarella cheese production was reported . All the efforts were directed to improve its physical and rheological properties. This study was carried out into two main parts : Part I Effect of using different smoking methods on some chemical and rheological properties of high and low moisture Mozzarella cheese at different temperatures during storage period. In this study two methods ofsmoking were applied: A) Dry smoke B) Liquid Smoke (by dipping or spray) ? / The high moisture Mozzarella cheese stored at + 4°C and --18°C for one month while low moisture Mozzarella cheese were stored at + I 0°C and • l 8°C for three months This part was divided into two sections: Section A : Smoking of high moisture Mozzarella cheese. The obtained results of this section could be summarized as follows: 1. Dry smoking decreased moisture , fat content, meltability , and stretchability while oiling-off and firmness were increased. 2. Dipping and spray smoking resulted in higher moisture content, less fat losses , higher meltability and stretchability as compared with dry smoking without change in oiling-off on firmness.