Impact of maturity level and geometric cuts of natural cheese on processed cheese product functionality

The study aimed to see the effect of maturity and different geometric cuts of Cheddar cheeses on processed cheese products (PCP) functional properties. Four Cheddar cheeses (mild, medium, sharp, and extra-sharp) were selected to manufacture PCP. The PCP made using extra-sharp Cheddar was soft and had higher meltability. The G′ and G″ values of mild and extra-sharp Cheddar PCP observed a similar trend, whereas medium and sharp Cheddar PCP followed a similar trend. In study 2, different geometric cuts, small cubes (SC), large cubes (LC), thin shreds (TN), and thick shreds (TK) of medium (M) and extra-sharp (ES) Cheddar cheese were used for PCP manufacture. The PCP with ES shreds (TN and TK) had higher meltability. The PCP with ES-TK was softer. In conclusion, maturation and geometric cuts significantly impacted the product's functionality. Manufacturers should select proper cutting equipment to extract full functional benefits and possibly reduce emulsifying salt usage.