Fusion of skim milk cheese curd grains: Development of a method to measure the fracture stress of the bonds between fused curd grains
An experimental technique with which to measure the fracture stress of fused curd grains, submerged in ultrafiltered milk permeate, has been developed and applied to curd grains of rennet-induced skim milk at pH 6.40 during the first 25 min of fusion. Effects of applied compressive stress within the range of 25-50 Pa, syneresis time, fusion time and tension loading rate were investigated. Fracture