Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, says ingredients firm
Crystals are usually recognised as a symbol of beauty, but for a while, this escaped the minds of cheese consumers, who worried that white pigment on their cheese meant the product was past its sell-by date.
Now, new research from DSM Dairy Ingredients reveals that attitudes to cheese are changing and the firm plans to use the product's 'mould' as a selling point.
The crystals are actually calcium lactate - white crystallines of salt made by the action of lactic acid on calcium carbonate. They precipitate out of cheese when lactic acid is converted into a less soluble form by the bacteria active during the ripening process and can be used to treat calcium deficiencies.
DSM was keen to see if there was an opportunity for manufacturers of flavoured and specialist cheeses to take advantage of taste-conscious consumers, so it embarked on a study into the causes and beliefs of calcium lactate crystals in cheese.
"Cheddar consumers have historically treated the presence of crystals as a defect - mistaking them for mould contamination or foreign bodies," says Bob Savage, key account manager at the company.
"However, times have changed. What was a problem can now become a positive selling point with crystals now perceived as an indicator of quality and maturity. As a result, we have been working with manufacturers to provide clear guidelines as to how to create, control and present crystals in cheddar."
Recent trials carried out by the firm show how the crystalised structure can be created and controlled using specific starter cultures and cheese making techniques.
Potential methods to encourage the growth of calcium lactate crystals include the use of lactococci acidifiers such as DSM's Delvo-Tec LL-50 and high levels of maturation adjuncts, such as lactobacilli Delvo-Add 100 and 200H and 200C. Nucleation sites (the areas where the crystallisation process takes place) can also be increased.
