Effects of animal rennet, fermentation-produced chymosin, and microbial coagulants on bovine milk coagulation properties

ABSTRACT: Coagulants play a crucial role in cheese production by catalyzing milk curdling, with traditional animal rennet long serving as the primary choice. However, due to cost, availability, and ethical concerns, various substitutes such as microbial coagulants and fermentation-produced chymosin...

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Main Authors: Giorgia Stocco, Dario Casali, Andrea Summer, Elena Mariani, Edward Concar, Suzanne Lantz, Jonathan Goodwins, Claudio Cipolat-Gotet
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Journal of Dairy Science
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030225001614
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author Giorgia Stocco
Dario Casali
Andrea Summer
Elena Mariani
Edward Concar
Suzanne Lantz
Jonathan Goodwins
Claudio Cipolat-Gotet
author_facet Giorgia Stocco
Dario Casali
Andrea Summer
Elena Mariani
Edward Concar
Suzanne Lantz
Jonathan Goodwins
Claudio Cipolat-Gotet
author_sort Giorgia Stocco
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT: Coagulants play a crucial role in cheese production by catalyzing milk curdling, with traditional animal rennet long serving as the primary choice. However, due to cost, availability, and ethical concerns, various substitutes such as microbial coagulants and fermentation-produced chymosin (FPC) have emerged. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of 8 commercial coagulants, including 1 bovine rennet, 2 bovine FPC, 1 camel FPC, 3 microbial (i.e., Rhizomucor miehei) coagulants, and 1 bovine FPC variant, on the coagulation properties of bovine milk. The coagulants were tested at 3 different doses (35, 50, and 65 international milk clotting units per liter) across 8 batches of unhomogenized, pasteurized, full-fat, bovine milk purchased from different commercial brands, in 2 replicates, for a total of 384 coagulation analyses (8 milk batches × 8 coagulants × 3 doses × 2 replicates). Specifically, traditional milk coagulation properties and curd firmness at given times were assessed using a lactodynamograph. Key findings indicated significant variations in coagulation patterns across the coagulants. Bovine rennet demonstrated an intermediate coagulation profile among all FPC and microbial coagulants. The bovine and camel FPC exhibited faster coagulation than the bovine animal rennet, with the camel FPC showing the quickest coagulation and curd-firming rates. The microbial coagulants, although exhibiting slower coagulation rates for a given dose, produced curd-firming dynamics different from those of all FPC. The bovine FPC variant exhibited high performance comparable to that of the camel FPC in the coagulation process. Overall, this study highlights the distinct coagulation characteristics of various coagulants, offering insights into their suitability for different cheese-making applications. The coagulant dose significantly affected the coagulation pattern, with a clear linear increase in dose influencing gelation and varying effects on other coagulation traits. These findings can guide producers in selecting the optimal coagulant and dose based on specific cheese production needs.
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spelling doaj-art-8f1d5bad920a486eb233655a44e581c42025-08-20T03:19:13ZengElsevierJournal of Dairy Science0022-03022025-05-0110854614462510.3168/jds.2024-26167Effects of animal rennet, fermentation-produced chymosin, and microbial coagulants on bovine milk coagulation propertiesGiorgia Stocco0Dario Casali1Andrea Summer2Elena Mariani3Edward Concar4Suzanne Lantz5Jonathan Goodwins6Claudio Cipolat-Gotet7Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy 43126International Flavors and Fragrances, New York, NY 10019Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy 43126; Corresponding authorDepartment of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy 43126International Flavors and Fragrances, New York, NY 10019International Flavors and Fragrances, New York, NY 10019International Flavors and Fragrances, New York, NY 10019Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy 43126ABSTRACT: Coagulants play a crucial role in cheese production by catalyzing milk curdling, with traditional animal rennet long serving as the primary choice. However, due to cost, availability, and ethical concerns, various substitutes such as microbial coagulants and fermentation-produced chymosin (FPC) have emerged. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of 8 commercial coagulants, including 1 bovine rennet, 2 bovine FPC, 1 camel FPC, 3 microbial (i.e., Rhizomucor miehei) coagulants, and 1 bovine FPC variant, on the coagulation properties of bovine milk. The coagulants were tested at 3 different doses (35, 50, and 65 international milk clotting units per liter) across 8 batches of unhomogenized, pasteurized, full-fat, bovine milk purchased from different commercial brands, in 2 replicates, for a total of 384 coagulation analyses (8 milk batches × 8 coagulants × 3 doses × 2 replicates). Specifically, traditional milk coagulation properties and curd firmness at given times were assessed using a lactodynamograph. Key findings indicated significant variations in coagulation patterns across the coagulants. Bovine rennet demonstrated an intermediate coagulation profile among all FPC and microbial coagulants. The bovine and camel FPC exhibited faster coagulation than the bovine animal rennet, with the camel FPC showing the quickest coagulation and curd-firming rates. The microbial coagulants, although exhibiting slower coagulation rates for a given dose, produced curd-firming dynamics different from those of all FPC. The bovine FPC variant exhibited high performance comparable to that of the camel FPC in the coagulation process. Overall, this study highlights the distinct coagulation characteristics of various coagulants, offering insights into their suitability for different cheese-making applications. The coagulant dose significantly affected the coagulation pattern, with a clear linear increase in dose influencing gelation and varying effects on other coagulation traits. These findings can guide producers in selecting the optimal coagulant and dose based on specific cheese production needs.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030225001614animal rennetmicrobial coagulantfermentation-produced chymosincamel chymosinbovine chymosin variant
spellingShingle Giorgia Stocco
Dario Casali
Andrea Summer
Elena Mariani
Edward Concar
Suzanne Lantz
Jonathan Goodwins
Claudio Cipolat-Gotet
Effects of animal rennet, fermentation-produced chymosin, and microbial coagulants on bovine milk coagulation properties
Journal of Dairy Science
animal rennet
microbial coagulant
fermentation-produced chymosin
camel chymosin
bovine chymosin variant
title Effects of animal rennet, fermentation-produced chymosin, and microbial coagulants on bovine milk coagulation properties
title_full Effects of animal rennet, fermentation-produced chymosin, and microbial coagulants on bovine milk coagulation properties
title_fullStr Effects of animal rennet, fermentation-produced chymosin, and microbial coagulants on bovine milk coagulation properties
title_full_unstemmed Effects of animal rennet, fermentation-produced chymosin, and microbial coagulants on bovine milk coagulation properties
title_short Effects of animal rennet, fermentation-produced chymosin, and microbial coagulants on bovine milk coagulation properties
title_sort effects of animal rennet fermentation produced chymosin and microbial coagulants on bovine milk coagulation properties
topic animal rennet
microbial coagulant
fermentation-produced chymosin
camel chymosin
bovine chymosin variant
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030225001614
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