Effect of freezing on the viscoelastic behavior during the ripening of a commercial low-fat soft cheese

Abstract

The effect of the freezing process (freezing at -25 C, frozen storage at -25 C during 33 days, and thawing at 6 C) on the viscoelastic behavior of a commercial low-fat soft cheese containing microparticulated whey proteins as fat replacers at different ripening times (1, 21, 48, and 76 days) was studied. Frequency sweeps (0.01-10 Hz) at 20 C in the linear viscoelastic region were performed. Frequency dependency of viscoelastic data was determined using power-law equations (G´= aw^x, G"=bw^y). Freezing process produced an increase in the maturation index, the viscous behavior and a decrease in values of coefficient a. However, the decay rate of coefficient a during the studied ripening period was not influenced by this process. A good negative correlation between a and maturation index was obtained. The results of this work indicated that the freezing process is a factor that contributes to the viscoelastic behavior of the studied cheeses.