Cheese defects and prevention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cheese defects and prevention - Essay Example The first defect is known as corky. It is a defect that is characterized by being dry and hard. Dryness is as a result of low moisture and hardness may be attributed to low fat content in the cheese. The hardness produces very strong resistance against the tier during penetration. These defects are as a result of various causes. They can arise in the development stage where there is lack of acid. Additionally, the defects can be caused by presence of high salt content in the moisture phase of production and use of excessive calcium chloride which negatively affects the quality of the cheese. More so, studies have indicated that lack of adequate coagulants in production leads to the defects. On the contrary, the defects can be avoided or eliminated by following the standard procedures in cheese making very accurately. The cheese making process should be thoroughly assessed to ensure that the recommended procedures are followed to latter in order to produce high quality cheese (Britz 2 008). Crumbly is another defect found in cheese. It is characterized by the tendency of falling apart when sliced. It also appears to be dry but not as compared to corky cheese. This defect seems to occur in an aging cheese, for instance when it is ten months old but in this respect is is termed as a friable body cheese. Crumbliness of cheese arises as a result of the level of acid produced exceeds the desired level during the cheese making process. It may also occur as a result of the cheese retaining very low moisture content hence the defect. This defect can be avoided by ensuring that the level of moisture produced is maintained as well as the level of acid development. Another remedy is to avoid ripening at very high temperatures (Lawrence 1987). Other defects of cheese include curdy, pasty and softness or weak cheese. The curdy defect of cheese is caused by lack of adequate curing in cheese. This defect can