Proteolysis in reduced sodium Feta cheese made by partial substitution of NaCl by KCl

• Published in: International dairy journal Vol. 10; no. 9; pp. 635 - 646
• Main Authors: Katsiari, M.C, Alichanidis, E, Voutsinas, L.P, Roussis, I.G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 2000; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cheese; Feta cheese; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Milk and cheese industries. Ice creams; Proteolysis; Research and development. New food products, dietetic foods and beverages; Sodium; Cheese; Sodium; Proteolysis; Feta cheese; Cheese ripening; Organoleptic properties; Soft cheese; Dairy product; Processing quality; Feta; Brine pickling; Dietetic product; Light product; Curing; Potassium Chlorides; Sodium Chlorides
• ISSN: 0958-6946; 1879-0143
• DOI: 10.1016/S0958-6946(00)00097-2

Feta cheeses (five trials) of different sodium content were made, using ewes’ milk, from split lots of curd by varying the salting procedure, i.e. dry salting with NaCl (control) or mixtures of NaCl/KCl (3:1 or 1:1, w/w basis) and filling the cans with brine made with NaCl or the above NaCl/KCl mixtures, respectively, in order to study the influence of the partial substitution of NaCl by KCl on the proteolysis during cheese ripening. The extent and characteristics of proteolysis in the cheeses were monitored during aging by using Kjeldahl determination of soluble nitrogen fractions (water-soluble nitrogen, trichloroacetic acid-soluble nitrogen, phosphotungstic acid-soluble nitrogen), the cadmium–ninhydrin method for the determination of total free amino acids (FAA), urea–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of cheese proteins followed by densitometric analysis of the α s1- and β-casein fractions, reverse-phase HPLC analysis of the water-soluble extracts of cheeses, and ion-exchange HPLC analysis of FAA. The results showed that proteolysis was similar in control and experimental cheeses at all sampling ages, indicating that the partial substitution of NaCl by KCl in the manufacture of Feta cheese had no significant effect on the extent and characteristics of proteolysis during cheese aging.