Evaluation of mozzarella cheese stretchability by the ring-and-ball method.

The functional quality of Mozzarella cheese is defined by its ability to melt and stretch. Currently used methods to evaluate the stretchability of Mozzarella cheese are empirical and lack control of moisture loss and temperature. The typical fork test, the imitative tensile stretch test, and the 3-pronged-hook probe tensile test all expose the test samples to ambient conditions during stretching and thus give poorly reproducible results. An objective method developed in our laboratory to evaluate stretchability of cheese is based on the principle of the Ring-and-Ball method used to measure the softening point of polymers. This technique, which controls temperature and moisture loss, was used to quantify the stretchability of Mozzarella cheese. Average stretch length varied between 4 to 9 cm between the youngest and the oldest cheese samples. The method was found to be sensitive enough to discriminate between cheeses of different ages. The results showed that the technique is reproducible and gives reliable stretch length and stretch length vs. time data, which was further used to estimate extensional viscosity of the test sample. Age-related differences were reflected in extensional viscosity that decreased from 17.4 to 13.6 kPa.s with increase in age.