| Summary: | Cheese making is an old method that originally has been used as a means to preserve milk. More than hundred types of cheeses are produced around the world, varying in bacterial cultures, pressing and ripening conditions. Grevé-, Herrgård- and Prästcheese are all examples of Swedish semi-hard cheeses. Prästcheese is dried and stored at 17-19 °C, while Grevé and Herrgård are stored at 10-12 °C. The aim of this study was to find a common dry-storage temperature for such cheeses. Selected properties such as weight loss and nutritional content of the cheeses at reference temperature (17-19 °C and 10-12 °C) were compared to cheeses stored in a common storage room at the temperature 15.0 ± 0.5 °C. The nutritional content was analysed by infrared spectroscopy using a FOSS MilkoScan FT120. The results showed a significant difference between experimental and reference cheeses weight losses for Präst 31%, Grevé 28% and Herrgård 28% (P <0.05), whereas no significant difference in weight loss was observed for Präst 17% and Herrgård 17% (P> 0.05). There was a significant difference in diameter between the experimental and reference cheeses (P <0.05). The diameter was significantly greater for cheeses that were stored at a higher temperature. There was no significant difference in the nutrient content for Präst 31 %, Präst 17%, 28%, Grevé 28 % and Grevé 17% (P> 0.05). For Herrgård 28%, there was a significant difference in the lactic acid concentration (P <0.05), but no significant difference in other nutrient content (P> 0.05). A final assessment is required when the cheeses are matured, by a sensory panel to conclude if the experimental cheeses are of a quality than can be accepted by the customer with regard to e.g. appearance, texture and taste.
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