Replacement of Cheesecloth with Polyamide Plastic Micro-filters in the Manufacturing of Fresh White Boiled Cheese and Pasteurized White Brined Cheese

Cheesecloth used in cheese manufacturing has technical problems; provides low cheese yield and is difficult to clean and disinfect. The present study investigated the effect of substituting cheesecloth with multiple artificial polyamide plastic micro-filters (PPMFs) on the properties of fresh white boiled cheeses (FWBC) and pasteurized white brined cheeses (PWBC) and their whey. Whey was strained by either traditional cheesecloth (control; C) or by one of the PPMFs with different pore sizes (PPMF10, PPMF20, PPMF40, PPMF57 and PPMF 75). The yields of FWBC were 19.46%, 17.13 %, and 14.98% for PPMF10, PPMF20, and PPMF40, respectively. Slightly lower yields were obtained for the PWBC, and the control had the lowest yield (~11.1%). Using PPMFs with increased pore size in both cheeses reduced the total solids, fat, and protein contents. In the whey, reversed trends in the relationship were observed, indicating a loss of solids as fat and protein during the straining. Microbial analysis showed that PPMF cheeses had lower mesophilic aerobes and LAB counts than those of the control. Yeasts, molds, and Staphylococcus aureus were not detected (˂10 log cfu/g) in treatments or the control. In general, FWBC maintained lower microbial counts than PWBC, which was associated with the final boiling step in the FWBC. Cheesecloth maintained the highest microbial counts which would be indicative of the protective effect of cheesecloth on the bacterial cells and their spores. The customary cleaning procedure was not sufficient to eliminate microbial cells from the cheesecloth therefore could represent a source of contamination for cheeses. Acidity (as lactic acid) resulted from the growth of LAB, and PPMFs produced similar or better cheeses in terms of sensory analysis attributes compared to the control.