An examination of some mechanical properties of a group of Italian cheeses and their relation to structure and conditions of manufacture

This note presents some rheological properties of selected pasta filata cheeses. Engineering properties, as derived from force-displacement curves and stress-relaxation kinetics, are used to examine the relations between the mechanical behaviour and the composition, structure and conditions of manufacture of these cheeses. An explanation of the mechanism responsible for stress relaxation is proposed. It is suggested that stresses relax through breakage and reformation of weak bonds in the protein network. The viscoelastic response of the cheeses is presented and analysed in terms of the proposed mechanism. © 1986.