Effect of variations in the salting rate on the composition and grade score of cheddar cheese

Abstract

Gradings were carried out at three weeks and six months after the manufacture of cheeses salted at various rates.
In the case of the fresh cheese, there was a slight decline in quality as the salting rate was increased from low to very high levels. The difference was greatest in regard to body and least in regard to texture.
When matured, the cheeses salted at the higher levels held their grade better and the cheeses salted at the lower levels lost their initial advantage in all grading qualities except colour.
Increased salting rates caused a reduction in the moisture content and an increase in the salt content of the cheeses. However, the perce1itage of the salt added which was retained by the curd decreased with increasing salting rates from an average of 61.2 per cent. at low levels to an average of 41.5 per cent. at very high levels of salting.
The average salt content and salt concentration of 15 cheeses produced with a normal firm body during the experiment were 1.50 and 4.31 per cent. respectively.
Some observations are made regarding the possibility of different individual cheeses from the one batch being assigned different official grades as a result of differences between the salt contents of the cheeses.