A DEVICE FOR EVALUATING MELT/FLOW CHARACTERISTICS OF CHEESES

A device to objectively measure the melt/flow behavior of cheeses at different temperatures was built consisting of a temperature-controlled heater, an LVDT (linear variable differential transformer), and a personal computer with a data acquisition system. This device, named UW Meltmeter, operates in the lubricated squeeze-flow configuration and can be used either alone at a constant force or in conjunction with a universal testing machine at a constant deformation rate. A marker technique was used to verify the shear-free squeezing flow assumption. The flow of Mozzarella cheeses with 14 and 43% fat content was studied at 40 and 60C under constant force (0.7 and 0.9 N) and constant cross-head speed (0.5 and 2.5 cm/min). Biaxial extensional strain rate and biaxial stress growth coefficient were calculated. The results supported the expected trend of increased meltability at higher fat levels and at higher temperatures.

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