Cheese crystals

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A piece of aged Parmesan containing typical white spots of cheese crystals on the cut surface Parmigiano 800x600.jpg
A piece of aged Parmesan containing typical white spots of cheese crystals on the cut surface
Close-up of cheese crystals on old Gouda Cheese Crystals.jpg
Close-up of cheese crystals on old Gouda

Cheese crystals are whitish, semi-solid to solid, slightly crunchy to gritty crystalline spots, granules, and aggregates that can form on the surface and inside of cheese. [1] [2] [3] Cheese crystals are characteristic of many long-aged hard cheeses.[ citation needed ]

Hard cheeses where cheese crystals are common and valued include comté, aged cheddar, grana cheeses like Parmesan, Grana Padano, and pecorino romano , as well as old gouda. However, in some cheeses, like industrial cheddar, they are considered a production defect.[ citation needed ]

Cheese crystals can consist of different substances. Most commonly found are calcium lactate crystals, especially on younger cheese, on the surface, and on cheddar. Depending on the cheese and its age, these crystals can consist of either or both enantiomers. [1] For grana padano, grainy amino acid crystals inside the cheese consisting mainly of tyrosine and of leucine and isoleucine have been reported. [1] [3] In general, any substance that has a low solubility in water and a tendency to crystallize could form crystals as the cheese dries out during aging.[ citation needed ]

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Calcium lactate is a white crystalline salt with formula C
6
H
10
CaO
6
, consisting of two lactate anions H
3
C
(CHOH)CO
2
for each calcium cation Ca2+
. It forms several hydrates, the most common being the pentahydrate C
6
H
10
CaO
6
·5H
2
O
.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grana Padano</span> Italian cheese

Grana Padano is a cheese originating in the Po Valley, in Northern Italy, that is similar to Parmigiano Reggiano. There are less strict regulations governing its production compared to Parmigiano Reggiano. This hard, crumbly-textured cheese is made with unpasteurized cows' milk that is semi-skimmed through a natural creaming process. To preserve the authenticity of the manufacturing processes and raw materials used to make this cheese, Grana Padano is registered as Geographical Indication in Italy since 1954 and as a European Union protected designation of origin (PDO) since 1996, and is protected in several other countries based on the Lisbon Agreement and bilateral agreements.

Grana is a type of hard, mature cheese from Italy with a granular texture, often used for grating. Grana cheeses are typically made in the form of large wheels. The structure is often described as crystalline, and the wheels are divided by being split with a fairly blunt almond-shaped knife designed for the purpose, rather than being sliced, cut or sawn. Within the European Union the term "grana" is legally protected by Grana Padano protected designation of origin; only Grana Padano may be sold using the term in EU countries.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Granular cheese</span> Type of cheese

Granular cheese, also known as stirred curd cheese and hard cheese, is a type of cheese produced by repeatedly stirring and draining a mixture of curd and whey. It can refer to a wide variety of cheeses, including the grana cheeses such as Parmigiano-Reggiano (pictured) and various others.

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Cleaning agents or hard-surface cleaners are substances used to remove dirt, including dust, stains, foul odors, and clutter on surfaces. Purposes of cleaning agents include health, beauty, removing offensive odor, and avoiding the spread of dirt and contaminants to oneself and others. Some cleaning agents can kill bacteria and clean at the same time. Others, called degreasers, contain organic solvents to help dissolve oils and fats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Types of cheese</span> Classification of coagulated milk products

There are many different types of cheese. Cheeses can be grouped or classified according to criteria such as length of fermentation, texture, methods of production, fat content, animal milk, and country or region of origin. The method most commonly and traditionally used is based on moisture content, which is then further narrowed down by fat content and curing or ripening methods. The criteria may either be used singly or in combination, with no single method being universally used.

Propionibacterium freudenreichii is a gram-positive, non-motile bacterium that plays an important role in the creation of Emmental cheese, and to some extent, Jarlsberg cheese, Leerdammer and Maasdam cheese. Its concentration in Swiss-type cheeses is higher than in any other cheese. Propionibacteria are commonly found in milk and dairy products, though they have also been extracted from soil. P. freudenreichii has a circular chromosome about 2.5 Mb long. When Emmental cheese is being produced, P. freudenreichii ferments lactate to form acetate, propionate, and carbon dioxide

(3 C3H6O3 → 2 C2H5CO2 + C2H3O2 + CO2).

References

  1. 1 2 3 Phadungath, Chanokphat (2011). The Efficacy of Sodium Gluconate as a Calcium Lactate Crystal Inhibitor in Cheddar Cheese (Thesis). University of Minnesota. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
  2. Stephie Clark & Shantanu Agarwal (April 27, 2007). "Chapter 24: Cheddar and Related Hard Cheeses. 24.6: Crystal Formation". In Y. H. Hui (ed.). Handbook of Food Products Manufacturing (1st ed.). Wiley-Interscience. p. 589. ISBN   978-0470049648.
  3. 1 2 A. Bianchi; G. Beretta; G. Caserio; G. Giolitti (1974). "Amino Acid Composition of Granules and Spots in Grana Padano Cheeses" (PDF). J. Dairy Sci. 57: 1504–1508. doi: 10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(74)85096-4 .