Revista de Bioanálise e Biomedicina

Mechanical Parameters of the Mozzarella from Buffalo with Inclusion Levels of The Cow’s Milk: Preliminary Study at the Lab Scale

Abstract

Mirelle C Pignata, Sibelli Passine B Ferrão, Crisitane P Oliveira, Amanda S Faleiro, Renata C Bonomo, Willian S Silva, Luciano B Rodrigues and Sérgio Augusto de Albuquerque Fernandes

The aim of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of the cow milk into buffalo milk during cheese-making on their physical-chemical and mechanical properties. The cow milk was added (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%) into buffalo milk to produce the mozzarella. We evaluated the physical-chemical composition, textural profile analyzer and melt ability. The cow milk inclusion in the buffalo milk altered the L* value of the mozzarella, decreasing it, and the mozzarella chromaticity (a* and b*) linearly and positively. Those attributes (firmness, chewiness, elasticity and cohesivity) are affected with cow’s milk inclusion, producing the lowest firmness and elasticity, characterized as less firm samples. The same behavior was observed for to melt ability, which decreased with cow milk inclusion. The measures of instrumental color, texture and the melt ability indicated that the cheese made with different levels of cow’s milk presented distinct characteristics of the mozzarella from just buffalo milk. Instrumental tests as color, texture and melt ability can be used in the detection of the buffalo’s mozzarella adulteration by cow’s milk, showing a potential alternative for the quality control of the buffalo’s mozzarella cheese.