Changes in the rheological properties of cheddar cheese at different storage temperatures

Changes in the stress relaxation behavior of Cheddar cheese was measured at different storage temperatures (5-25ºC). A 3-element Maxwell model was used for calculation of instantaneous elastic, elastic, and viscous constants. As the storage temperature increased from 5 to 25ºC, rheological properties of instantaneous and equilibrium stresses, and instantaneous elastic, elastic, and viscous constants decreased. A master curve was constructed based on moving each stress relaxation curve horizontally on the basis of reference temperature (15ºC) with shift factors. The master curve of Cheddar cheese had a linear temperature dependency. The modulus of elasticity decreased as the storage temperature increased. The predicted shelf life and activation energy of Cheddar cheese at different storage temperatures were calculated using the Williams-Landel-Ferry equation. The activation energy was 50.25 kcal/mol, and the expected shelf life was 15 times longer when stored at 5ºC than at 15ºC.