Cambios reológicos del queso Colonia durante el proceso de maduración

“Colonia” cheese is a typical Uruguayan cheese, elaborated following the quality standards and cheese making tradition of the swiss inmigrants established at the uruguayan department of Colonia and sourrondings. Actually there is no available information about the reological changes that happen in this kind of cheese during its ripeness. The study and publication of this process (which does not present a protected designation of origin (DOP) yet) gives knowledge for its spread.Rheological changes were analyzed with the stress relaxation test along the ripeness process made at 8 oC and a humidity of 85 % until the 13th day. The results indicate that an important performance change exists after the 11th ripeness day, where a remarkable tenderness change takes place. This result allows to confirm the importance of letting the ripeness run at low temperatures for at least 11 days ensuring the necessary elasticity for eye formation, consistent with the industrial practice that changes environmental conditions of ripeness (temperature and relative humidity) at the eleventh day of the production.