Effect of the use of carbon dioxide on Prato cheese making

The effects of the addition of carbon dioxide (CO2) under pressure (1.6 x 10(5) Pa at 8 degrees C) to pasteurised Prato cheese milk (pH 6.0) was investigated through 120 d of refrigerated storage. The addition of CO2 decreased the curd formation time (30 min), the total manufacturing time (47 min), and the pH of Prato cheese, thus leading to reduced moisture content. The CO2 treated cheese showed higher firmness and fracturability due to the greater whey loss. In contrast, the microorganism counts, cheese yield, protein loss, cohesiveness, springiness, and gumminess were not significantly affected by the treatment. For the lactose fermentation, no significant differences were observed. The addition of CO2 did not change the proteolysis indexes, and no significant differences were observed in the sensory acceptance of the CO(2 )treated cheese, which was well accepted by consumers. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.