摘要 |
A calcium lactate crystal inhibitor is added to the typical cheese-making recipe to inhibit the growth of calcium lactate crystals as the cheese ages. The calcium lactate crystal inhibitor is preferably a sodium salt of an organic acid, and is preferably added with sodium chloride or shortly after sodium chloride as part of the salting step. The calcium lactate crystal inhibitor can be identified in a solubility model as being effective in preventing calcium lactate crystal formation by having no or essentially no visually observable crystals and a minimal reduction (less than 5.0%, and more preferably less than 1.0%) in the calcium and lactate content of a calcium L-lactate pentahydrate solubility solution after 14 days of storage at 7° C. The amount of calcium lactate crystal inhibitor salt is within the range of greater than zero to 10% of the weight of the curd, to result in a cheese having 0.26 to 2.8% calcium lactate crystal inhibitor in a cheddar cheese. The amount of calcium lactate crystal inhibitor salt added for other cheeses can be based upon the lactate content and salt retention of the cheese.
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