Consensus categorization of cheese based on water activity and pH-A rational approach to systemizing cheese diversity.

Development of science-based interventions in raw milk cheese production is challenging due to the large diversity of production procedures and final products. Without an agreed upon categorization scheme, science-based food safety evaluations and validation of preventive controls would have to be completed separately on each individual cheese product, which is not feasible considering the large diversity of products and the typically small scale of production. Thus, a need exists to systematically group raw milk cheeses into logically agreed upon categories to be used for food safety evaluations. This paper proposes and outlines one such categorization scheme that provides for 30 general categories of cheese. As a base for this systematization and categorization of raw milk cheese, we used Table B of the US Food and Drug Administration's 2013 Food Code, which represents the interaction of pH and water activity for control of vegetative cells and spores in non-heat-treated food. Building on this table, we defined a set of more granular pH and water activity categories to better represent the pH and water activity range of different raw milk cheeses. The resulting categorization scheme was effectively validated using pH and water activity values determined for 273 different cheese samples collected in the marketplace throughout New York State, indicating the distribution of commercially available cheeses among the categories proposed here. This consensus categorization of cheese provides a foundation for a feasible approach to developing science-based solutions to assure compliance of the cheese processors with food safety regulations, such as those required by the US Food Safety Modernization Act. The key purpose of the cheese categorization proposed here is to facilitate product assessment for food safety risks and provide scientifically validated guidance on effective interventions for general cheese categories. Once preventive controls for a given category have been defined, these categories would represent safe havens for cheesemakers, which would allow cheesemakers to safely and legally produce raw milk cheeses that meet appropriate science-based safety requirements (e.g., risk to human health equivalent to pasteurized milk cheeses).

Factors affecting consumers' preferences for and purchasing decisions regarding pasteurized and raw milk specialty cheeses.

Eight hundred ninety consumers at a local food festival were surveyed about their specialty cheese purchasing behavior and asked to taste and rate, through nonforced choice preference, 1 of 4 cheese pairs (Cheddar and Gouda) made from pasteurized and raw milks. The purpose of the survey was to examine consumers' responses to information on the safety of raw milk cheeses. The associated consumer test provided information about specialty cheese consumers' preferences and purchasing behavior. Half of the consumers tested were provided with cheese pairs that were identified as being made from unpasteurized and pasteurized milk. The other half evaluated samples that were identified only with random 3-digit codes. Overall, more consumers preferred the raw milk cheeses than the pasteurized milk cheeses. A larger portion of consumers indicated preferences for the raw milk cheese when the cheeses were labeled and thus they knew which samples were made from raw milk. Most of the consumers tested considered the raw milk cheeses to be less safe or did not know if raw milk cheeses were less safe. After being informed that the raw milk cheeses were produced by a process approved by the FDA (i.e., 60-d ripening), most consumers with concerns stated that they believed raw milk cheeses to be safe. When marketing cheese made from raw milk, producers should inform consumers that raw milk cheese is produced by an FDA-approved process.

Short communication: Evaluation of supercritical fluid extraction aids for optimum extraction of nonpolar lipids from buttermilk powder.

The milk fat globule membrane, present in buttermilk, contains complex lipids such as phospholipids. Microfiltration coupled with supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) may provide a method of enriching these nutritionally valuable lipids into a novel ingredient. Therefore, SFE as a method for phospholipid enrichment needs to be optimized for lipid removal effectiveness. The role of matrix additions to the buttermilk powder for extraction efficiency was evaluated. Diatomaceous earth (biosilicates), Teflon beads, and physical vibration were tested and shown to reduce total lipid by 86, 78, and 70%, respectively. Four consecutive treatments were shown to exhaust the system; however, similar extraction efficiencies were noted for 1 treatment with biosilicate addition, 2 treatments with physical vibration, or 3 treatments with added Teflon beads. The extracted lipid material consisted of the nonpolar fraction, and protein concentration was observed to increase slightly compared with the control. Although higher lipid extraction was achieved from the powder with addition of diatomaceous earth, a removable aid is ideal for an edible product.

Phospholipid enrichment in sweet and whey cream buttermilk powders using supercritical fluid extraction.

Milk fat globule membrane contains many complex lipids implicated in an assortment of biological processes. Microfiltration coupled with supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) has been shown to provide a method of concentrating these nutritionally valuable lipids into a novel ingredient. In the dairy industry there are several by-products that are rich in phospholipids (PL) such as buttermilk, whey, and whey cream. However, PL are present at low concentrations. To enrich PL in buttermilk powders, regular buttermilk and whey buttermilk (by-product of whey cream after making butter) were microfiltered and then treated with SFE after drying. The total fat, namely nonpolar lipids, in the powders was reduced by 38 to 55%, and phospholipids were concentrated by a factor of 5-fold. Characterization of the PL demonstrated specific molecular fatty amide combinations on the sphingosine (18:1) backbone of sphingomyelin with the greatest proportion being saturated; the most common were 16:0, 20:0, 21:0, 22:0, 23:0, and 24:0. Two unsaturated fatty amide chains, 23:1 and 24:1, were shown to be elevated in a whey cream buttermilk sample compared with the others. However, most unsaturated species were not as abundant.

The influence of temperature and pressure factors in supercritical fluid extraction for optimizing nonpolar lipid extraction from buttermilk powder.

The milk fat globule membrane, readily available in buttermilk, contains complex lipids claimed to be beneficial to humans. Phospholipids, including sphingolipids, exhibit antioxidative, anticarcinogenic, and antiatherogenic properties and have essential roles in numerous cell functions. Microfiltration coupled with supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) may provide a method for removing triacylglycerols while concentrating these nutritionally valuable lipids into a novel ingredient. Therefore, SFE as a method for phospholipid concentration needs to be optimized for triacylglycerol removal in buttermilk. The SFE conditions were assessed using a general full factorial design; the experimental factors were pressure (15, 25, and 35 MPa) and temperature (40, 50, and 60 degrees C). Particularly interesting is that only triacylglycerols were removed from buttermilk powder. Little to no protein loss or aggregation was observed compared with the untreated buttermilk powder. Calculated theoretical values showed a linear increase for lipid solubility as pressure, temperature, or both were increased; however, experimental values showed nonlinearity, as an effect of temperature. In addition, the particular SFE parameters of 35 MPa and 50 degrees C displayed enhanced extraction efficiency (70% total lipid reduction).

Rate of maillard browning in sweet whey powder.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the rate of Maillard browning in 3 commercial sweet whey powders (WC1, WC2, and MW1), under accelerated shelf-life testing (ASLT) and under normal storage conditions (21 degrees C and 35% RH). Rate of brown pigment formation (k) obtained from short-term ASLT of whey powder was compared with actual findings obtained from the long-term shelf-life testing under normal conditions. Deterioration by Maillard browning, measured by spectrophotometer, was compared with changes in color (Hunter Laboratory), free moisture, titratable acidity, and sensory attributes. Results suggest that estimated k (from ASLT) was comparable with the observed rate (obtained at ambient temperature) for 2 producers (WC1, MW1). The actual k values observed for samples WC1, WC2, and MW1, stored under normal conditions, were 0.0031, 0.0080, and 0.0148 color units/g of solid per mo, respectively. The estimated values of k for samples WC1, WC2, and MW1 were 1.12, 4.90, and 1.35 times more than the observed values, respectively. The Q10 values (increase in reaction rate for a 10 degrees C temperature increase) ranged from 1.77 to 4.14, and the activation energies ranged from 15.9 to 28.4 kcal/mol. Hunter Laboratory values L* and a* appeared most sensitive to changes during storage. Free moisture content, and acidity increased significantly with storage. However, no significant changes were detected by the sensory panel in the attributes considered.

Aroma compounds in sweet whey powder.

Aroma compounds in sweet whey powder were investigated in this study. Volatiles were isolated by solvent extraction followed by solvent-assisted flavor evaporation. Fractionation was used to separate acidic from nonacidic volatiles. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and gas chromatography/olfactometry were used for the identification of aroma compounds. Osme methodology was applied to assess the relative importance of each aroma compound. The most aroma-intense free fatty acids detected were acetic, propanoic, butanoic, hexanoic, heptanoic, octanoic, decanoic, dodecanoic, and 9-decenoic acids. The most aroma-intense nonacidic compounds detected were hexanal, heptanal, nonanal, phenylacetaldehyde, 1-octen-3-one, methional, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, furfuryl alcohol, p-cresol, 2-acetylpyrrole, maltol, furaneol, and several lactones. This study suggested that the aroma of whey powder could comprise compounds originating from milk, compounds generated by the starter culture during cheese making, and compounds formed during the manufacturing process of whey powder.

Enzyme-catalyzed saccharification of model celluloses in the presence of lignacious residues.

Experiments were designed to determine the relevance of enzyme partitioning, between the cellulose and non-cellulose components of pretreated biomass, with respect to rates of cellulose saccharification in a typical biomass-to-ethanol process. The experimental system included three cellulose preparations (differing in physicochemical properties): a representative lignin-rich noncellulosic residue (prepared from dilute acid-pretreated switchgrass), an acid-extracted lignin preparation, and a complete Trichoderma reesei cellulase preparation. Enzyme-reactor conditions were typical of those commonly used in biomass-to-ethanol studies. The results were found to be dependent on both the lignin and cellulose preparations used. The noncellulosic lignacious residue, when supplemented at up to 40% (w/w) in cellulose-cellulase reaction mixtures, had little effect on rates and extents of cellulose saccharification. Overall, the results suggest that enzyme partitioning between cellulose and the noncellulosic component of a pretreated feedstock is not likely to have a major impact on cellulose saccharification in typical biomass-to-ethanol processes.