Cheese functionality includes the properties of cheese in its natural state (body, texture, etc.) and in its heated state (melt, stretch, adhesiveness, etc.). The cheese manufacturer must meet the functional requirements required by the cheese purchaser. Proper performance of cheese when heated is often a target for which the cheesemaker must aim, particularly when making mozzarella cheese. If the cheese is Mozzarella, it must melt, flow and brown under conditions specified by each particular pizza company. There are two challenges that the cheesemaker faces: a) determining the cheesemaking protocol to follow to manufacture a cheese with the required functional properties, and b) how to stay on target with day-to-day variations that occur during cheesemaking. If the basic chemistry of cheese can be understood, then the cheesemaker has a foundation for controlling functional properties of cheese so the target performance for the cheese can be routinely achieved.
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