Cheese Microstructure 1

Cheese microstructure, flavor, quality, and microbial growth are intricately linked. It has been argued that cheese microstructure dictates development of enzymatic flavor reactions, appearance, texture, release of nutrients under digestive conditions, and the relative populations of microbial species. New developments in advanced physical analyses have provided new insights into cheese microstructure. Milk and cheese processing and ripening conditions have profound effects upon the textural quality of the cheese. The relative location of cheese structural components dictates digestibility and ultimately the release of key nutrients, clearly showing the importance of microstructure on cheese quality.