Effects of papain concentration, coagulation temperature, and coagulation time on the properties of model soft cheese during ripening

Cheese is a nutritious food that is a good source of bioactive compounds. Therefore, it is important to understand the effects of different processing parameters on cheese properties during the ripening process. Here, we prepared model soft cheeses by using different concentrations of papain (0.2, 0.3, and 0.4%), coagulation temperatures (30, 34, and 37 °C), and coagulation times (20, 30, and 40 min) to evaluate changes in yield, moisture content, pH, lactic acid bacteria population, texture, proteolysis, volatile compounds, and instrumental sensory analysis during a 50 days ripening period. The moisture contents were 53%–62%, and moisture-adjusted yields ranged from 11.2 kg to 15.6 kg per 100 kg milk. Moreover, during the ripening period, the number of lactic acid bacteria increased by approximately 0.5 log CFU/g. A significant increase in the total concentration of free amino acids in response to increases in papain concentration and coagulation temperature was observed. Coagulation temperature was also found to have a significant effect on the hardness and springiness of cheese. In addition, we detected 34 volatile compounds in the model soft cheeses. This study contributes to advancing our current understanding on the quality changes of model soft cheese using papain as a substitute for rennet. •Determine the suitability of plant origin enzyme papain as rennet substitute.•Determine the effects of different factors on the properties of model cheese.•The current understanding regarding the production of high-quality model cheese.