CHEMICAL AND STRUCTURAL RELATIONSHIP ON CHANCO CHEESE TEXTURE

Abstract

The texture is an important property in food quality and acceptability, affecting consumer per- ception of food. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between both chemical and structural composition and the sensory and instrumental parameters of Chanco cheese texture. Springiness, hardness, adhesiveness and cohesiveness were evaluated by quantitative descriptive analysis and texture profile analysis. Chemical parameters (pH, humidity, fat content) and structural parameters (aspect ratio, solidity, and convexity) were measured on the same cheese samples. Prin- cipal component analysis was used to classify the parameters studied into differentiated groups. Fat content showed a significant positive correlation with sensory cohesiveness (R = 0.92, p < 0.05), ins- trumental firmness (R = 0.98, p < 0.05) and instrumental adhesiveness (R = 0.99, p < 0.05). No relatio- nship was found between structural parameters and sensory and instrumental texture. Based on the results of this study, it is concluded that fat content has a direct influence on sensory (cohesiveness) and instrumental parameters (hardness and adhesiveness) of texture. Structural parameters (solidity and convexity) are correlated with chemical parameters (pH and fat content). Therefore, they have an indirect influence on sensory and instrumental parameters of texture.