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The objective of this article was to apply a novel laser Raman sensor for the control of on line cheesemaking, mainly focusing on coagulation but with an initial test of syneresis. By means of a novel Raman laser sensor, the spectrum of cheese curd was seen to be slightly higher than that of milk in the 800-1200 cm−1 Raman shift range, with a sigmoid increase in intensity until a constant value was reached. As regards syneresis, the response of the Raman laser sensor and the moisture content both followed first-order kinetics. These initial results confirm that the laser sensor is able to determine the changes that take place in the cheesemaking process, during the coagulation and whey drainage steps, and point to the potential usefulness of this sensor for the online control of cheesemaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructural parameters of an industrially manufactured goat cheese curd (pore number, area and perimeter, strand thickness and porosity) were analysed by scanning electron microscopy and image analysis during synaeresis. The water-holding capacity, whey fat, pH and moisture con-tent were also determined to establish any relationship with the curd microstructure. The quantifica-tion of the different microstructural parameters made it possible to assign pitching and stirring as important processing steps because these steps impart different features to the curd microstructure. Higher pore number was related to reduced pore area, perimeter and strand thickness, but higher porosity and moisture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]