Changes in the rheology and microstructure of processed cheese during cooking

The 'creaming reaction' of a processed cheese can be traced by the change in its viscosity profile. The viscosity profile can be measured by shearing the processed cheese at a low but constant shear rate using a rheometer. We showed that this change in the viscosity profile during cooking occurred in processed cheese made from a typical formulation as well as from a fat-free model system. This indicated that the 'creaming reaction' is primarily a protein-based interaction, which takes places with or without the presence of fat. The observed viscosity profile can be explained in terms of changes in the protein structure of the molten processed cheese during processing. A model is proposed. (C) 2003 Swiss Society of Food Science and Technology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.