Freezing low moisture Mozzarella cheese: changes in organic acid content

Vacuum-packaged low moisture Mozzarella cheese samples were ripened both by the traditional method at 4°C and after subjecting the samples to a freeze (−20°C)–thaw (4°C) cycle before ageing. Nine organic acids (formic, pyruvic, orotic, uric, lactic, acetic, citric, propionic and butyric) were analyzed each week by high performance liquid chromatography. There was no significant effect of the freeze–thaw cycle on the variations in organic acids content. They were only affected by ripening time. Each organic acid presented a characteristic pattern of change during ripening. Discriminant analysis classified cheeses according to their age.