The effect of calcium chloride addition on the microstructure and composition of Cheddar cheese

The addition of calcium is widely accepted as a tool in cheese-making but the effect on the microstructure of cheese during and following manufacture is not known. In this study, cheeses made with milk containing 200–600 mg L⁻¹ of additional CaCl₂ had significantly lower fat loss into the whey collected after cooking; however, the final fat composition or yield of cheese did not change. The microstructure of the gel with 300 or 600 mg L⁻¹ CaCl₂ addition was less porous and the cooked curd consisted of a denser protein network that may retain more fat during the early stages of manufacture. In contrast, the cheddared curd and cheese contained more micro-pores than cheeses with lower or no calcium addition. Such micro-pores could possibly be the channels by which fat escaped during pressing. This study shows that calcium addition altered the microstructure and pattern of fat loss during Cheddar manufacture.