Fat and protein are two primary components in raw milk.
The fat content of bovine milk is nearly 4 % by weight, and
it is dispersed in milk serum as globules with diameters that
range from 0.2 to 15 μm, c.a. 4 μm on average [1]. Similar
to fat globules, casein proteins (i.e. the major class of
milk protein) exist as colloidal particles, known as casein
micelles, and have diameters that range from 40 to 300 nm
(average 120 nm) [2]. The ensemble of fat globules and
casein micelles occupies more than a half of the total solid
content in milk [2]. Therefore, their structural stability and
inter-particle interactions strongly affect the quality of
dairy products such as cheese, yoghurt, and butter. In particular,
the presence of fat in cheese is necessary to develop
the characteristic flavour profile and favoured mouth-feel.
The production of natural cheese is initiated by the addition
of rennet to milk. The rennet-induced proteolysis of
the surfaces of casein micelles leads to their aggregation,
resulting in a three-dimensional protein network. The network
exhibits nonuniform viscoelasticity in accordance
with changes in the temperature, pH, and protein concentration
[3, 4]. Cavities in the network are filled with fat
globules and some whey; the total mixture of these materials
comprises a cheese curd. Many fat globules in the curd
remain stored, even after curd syneresis is completed, and
they contribute to the desirable functional properties of the
final cheese product. In fact, artificial removal of fat from
the curd causes quality degradation, leading to a firm and
dry cheese that melts poorly [5]. Towards quality improvement,
numerous studies have focused on the effect of fat
content or its reduction in cheese [6–8]. Despite consumer
enthusiasm for fat-free diets, these attempts have met with
limited success [9]. A better understanding of the interplay
between fat globules and the protein network is indispensable
for developing a solution.
Aside from the practical motivation, it is also interesting
from an academic perspective to explore the effects of fat
content on the rheology of cheese curds. An important feature
of fat globules, which contribute to curd rheology, is
the wide variety in size and melting temperature. The broad
distribution of fat globule sizes allows them to interact with
cheese microstructures in multiple ways. Large fat globules are likely to disrupt a portion of the protein network and
suppress direct cross-linking between protein threads.
Hence, if they are liquefied, large globules are expected to
plasticize adjacent protein threads [10], yielding a structurally
loose matrix with reduced firmness. In contrast, small
globules tend to occlude the fine empty spaces in the network
[11] and are thought to act as reinforcing fillers [12]
if they are in solid phase. However, a simple explanation
of the temperature dependence of the fat content may be
insufficient owing to the wide variety of fat melting points.
There is not a sharp difference between the liquid and
solid states of fat globules in curds. A single fat globule
encloses many kinds of triglyceride isomers with different
melting points [13, 14], and thus, the solidity and fluidity
of the globule are determined by the relative proportion of
isomers. The actual melting temperature ranges from −40
to 40 °C, between which crystalline and liquid fat coexist
in curd [15]. It remains unclear how the two competing
roles of fat globules, as plasticizers and reinforcing fillers,
are manifested with respect to thermal-induced changes in
cheese curd rheology.
In the present study, we address the effect of fat content
and pH control on the viscoelastic moduli of rennet
cheese curds. The pH control allows us to examine the
effects of fat content under various structural conditions
of the protein network. High pH conditions cause protein
networks to become weaker and more porous. In contrast,
low pH conditions result in network contraction, in which
either or both of the effects as plasticizers or fillers may be
enhanced. To verify our conjecture, we performed dynamic
shear tests and measured the variation in the temperature
dependence of the moduli with changes in pH. Particular
emphasis was paid to the rheological behaviours below
20 °C and above 50 °C, wherein most fat globules are
solidified and liquefied, respectively.