Effect of calcium on physicochemical properties of fat-free mozzarella cheese

Fat-free mozzarella cheeses containing 4 levels of calcium (0.79%, 0.66%, 0.59%, and 0.50%) were manufactured on 4 separate occasions. Meltability as softening time and temperature, melting time and temperature, flow rate, extent of flow, decrease in cheese height during melting, melt area, whiteness (L* value) at 5 and 60degreesC and proteolysis were evaluated on 1, 7, 15, and 30 d. Reduction of 35% of the calcium increased the cheese flow to 2.5 times and the cheese also required 19% less time to melt. Low-calcium fat-free cheeses required lower temperature and less time to soften and melt, and had greater and faster flow. Whiteness decreased and proteolysis was greater in low-calcium cheeses.