Research Accomplishment Reports 2007

Syneresis Sensor Technology Development for Curd Moisture Content Control

F.A. Payne, C.L. Hicks, P.M. Menguc, M. Castillo
Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

 

Project Description

Control of syneresis is critical in order to control the moisture content of cheese, which has a tremendous impact on the quality attributes of cheese. Unfortunately, there are currently no technologies available for monitoring curd syneresis. Rather, syneresis is empirically controlled, all over the world, by processing for specific temperatures and times. A novel optical sensor technology that is able to monitor both milk coagulation and curd syneresis in a stirred cheese vat (note that curd moisture control requires control of milk coagulation, cutting time and syneresis) has been developed. The new syneresis technology consists of a unique large field of view optical sensor that provides the information about gel assembly and curd shrinkage kinetics required for curd moisture control.

Impact

The technology makes use of a specific light waveband which yields the kinetics of syneresis and regression models which predict cutting time, whey fat losses, cheese yield and curd moisture content. Curd moisture as a function of processing time can be predicted with a SEP of 1.72% over the range of 50 to 90% curd moisture content. Thus, this technology could be used for manufacturing of low, medium and high moisture cheeses. From an applicative point of view this technology would provide more consistent and efficienct production capability. The technology also would save energy by avoiding unnecessary syneresis processing and allow cheese maker to shift curd size as milk solids change during the year. Further, real time action would be possible in order to obtain the desired curd moisture content if culture inhibition occurs due to bacteriophage or agglutination problems. This technology is considered to offer the potential for a comprehensive process control of cheese making in the vat and for predicting curd moisture. Several cheese making facilities (Brewster Cheese Inc., and Kraft Foods Inc.) and an engineering firm (ESEInc.) have expressed an interest in this technology for cheese manufacture. Two patent applications have been submitted on this sensor technology to control curd moisture content during syneresis in cheese making.

Publications

Fagan, C. C., C.-J. Du, C.P. O’Donnell, M. Castillo, C. D. Everard, D.J. O’Callaghan F.A. Payne Application Of Image Texture Analysis For Online Determination Of Curd Moisture And Whey Solids In A Laboratory Scale Stirred Cheese Vat. Journal of Food Science. Submitted.

Everard, C. D., O’Callaghan, D. J., Mateo, M. J., O’Donnell, C. P., Castillo, M., Payne, F. A. Effects of cutting intensity and stirring speed on syneresis and curd losses during cheese manufacture. Journal of Dairy Science. Submitted.

Fagan, C. C., Castillo, M., O’Donnell, C. P., O’Callaghan, D. J., Payne, F. A. 2008. On-line prediction of cheese making indices using backscatter of near infrared light.  International Dairy Journal, 18 120-128.

Fagan, C. C., Castillo, M., Payne, F. A., O’Donnell, C. P., Leedy, M., O’Callaghan, D. J. 2007. Novel on-line sensor technology for continuous monitoring of milk coagulation and whey separation in cheesemaking. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 55 8836-8844.

Fagan, C. C., Castillo, M., Payne, F. A., O’Donnell, C. P., O’Callaghan, D. J. Effect of Cutting Time, Temperature and Calcium on Curd Moisture, Whey Fat Loses and Curd Yield by Response Surface Methodology. Journal of Dairy Science. In press.

Everard, C. D., O’Callaghan, D. J., Fagan, C. C., O’Donnell, C. P., Castillo, M., Payne, F. A. 2007. Computer vision and color measurement techniques for inline monitoring of cheese curd syneresis. Journal of Dairy Science. 90, 3162-3170.

Fagan, C. C., Leedy., M., Castillo, M., Payne, F. A., O’Donnell, C. P., O’Callaghan, D. J. 2007. Development of a light scatter sensor technology for on-line monitoring of milk coagulation and whey separation. Journal of Food Engineering. 83, 61-67.

Castillo, M., Lucey, J.A., Wang, T., Payne, F.A. (2006). Effect of temperature and inoculum concentration on gel microstructure, permeability and syneresis kinetics. Cottage cheese-type gel. International Dairy Journal 16, 153-163.

Castillo, M., Payne, F.A., López, M.B., Ferrandini, E., Laencina, J. 2005. Optical sensor technology for measuring whey fat concentration in cheese making. Journal of Food Engineering 71, 354-360.

Castillo, M., Payne, F.A., López, M.B., Ferrandini, E., Laencina, J. 2005. Preliminary evaluation of an optical method for modeling the dilution of fat globules in whey during syneresis of cheese curd. Applied Engineering in Agriculture 21, 265-269.