Activation energy measurements in rheological analysis of cheese

Activation energy of flow (E-a) between 30 and 44 degrees C was calculated from temperature sweeps of cheeses with contrasting characteristics to determine its usefulness in predicting rheological behavior upon heating. Cheddar, Colby, whole milk Mozzarella, low-moisture part-skim Mozzarella, Parmesan, soft goat, and Queso Fresco cheeses were heated from 22 to 70 degrees C, and E-a was calculated from the resulting Arrhenius plots. Protein and moisture content were highly correlated with E-a. The E-a values for goat cheese and Queso Fresco, which did not flow when heated, were between 30 and 60 kJ mol(-1). Cheddar, Colby, and the Mozzarellas did flow upon heating, and their E-a values were between 100 and 150 kJ mol(-1). Parmesan, the hardest cheese, flowed rapidly with heat and had an E-a > 180 kJ mol(-1). E-a provides an objective means of quantitating the flow of cheese, and together with elastic modulus and viscous modulus provides a picture of the behavior of cheese as it is heated. Published by Elsevier Ltd.