A near-infrared system that may enhance cheese yield and process conrol

• Main Authors: Hicks C.L, Payne F.A
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: 1994
• Subjects: calidad de procesamiento; cheesemaking; coagulacion; coagulating; coagulation; control de fabricacion; controle continu; controle de fabrication; enzimas; enzyme; enzymes; espectroscopia infrarroja; fabricacion del queso; infrared spectrophotometry; lait; leche; mathematical models; milk; modele mathematique; modelos matematicos; monitoring; process control; processing quality; qualite technologique; reflectance; reflectancia; spectroscopie infrarouge; technologie fromagere; vigilancia

Near-infrared (NIR) emissions were used to monitor the enzymatic coagulation of milk by measuring the diffuse reflectance through bifurcated fiber optic bundles. As enzymatic coagulation proceeds diffuse reflectance profiles exhibit a constant, sigmoidal, and exponential period as change in reflectance increases toward a maximum limit. Changes in coagulation rate as affected by pH, temperature, enzyme type, enzyme concentration, milk protein concentration, and calcium could be monitored by diffuse reflectance. Rate of enzymatic hydrolysis could be predicted using a diffusion kinetic model and the constant time period. A mathematical algorithm, which utilized the sigmoidal inflection point and protein concentration, was developed to estimate the cutting point of coagulating milk. A non-intrusive, clean-in-place near-infrared probe which mounts flush with the cheese vat wall was designed and should further the automation and control of the cheese-making process.