# Relationship Between Rennet Coagulation Properties of Milk, Cheese-Making Losses, and Cheese Yield in Manufacture of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO Cheese

## TL;DR

This study shows how milk's coagulation properties affect cheese yield and losses during Parmigiano Reggiano production.

## Contribution

The study identifies how milk composition and coagulation properties directly impact cheese-making efficiency and yield.

## Key findings

- Milk with better coagulation properties has higher citric acid and phosphorus content, leading to lower pH and faster coagulation.
- Optimal coagulation properties result in stronger curd formation and less fat loss during cheese production.
- Better coagulation properties are associated with higher cheese yields (up to 8.79 kg/100 kg).

## Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of milk’s rennet coagulation properties (RCPs) on cheese yield and cheese-making losses in the production of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese. Higher contents of citric acid (181.10 vs. 172.13 vs. 166.47 mg/100 g) and phosphorus (95.02 vs. 91.14 vs. 88.78 mg/100 g) in milk with optimal and sub-optimal RCPs, compared to milk with poor RCPs, respectively, positively affect the acidity of the milk, lowering the pH values (6.68 vs. 6.70 vs. 6.72, respectively), which results in a faster reaction between chymosin and casein and consequently a reduced time of milk coagulation. The lower values of curd firming time and the higher values of curd firmness, strength to cut (68.97 vs. 64.43 vs. 44.38 g), and strength to compression (31.48 vs. 30.49 vs. 25.70 g) for milk with optimal and sub-optimal coagulation, compared to milk with poor coagulation, result in a higher stress resistance across the technological steps of the cheese-making process, leading to lower fat losses (14.23 vs. 15.48 vs. 16.72%) in the whey and a higher cheese yield (8.79 vs. 8.56 vs. 8.08 kg/100 kg).