Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of Spanish Sheep Cheese: A Study on the Relationships between Ripening Times, Geographical Origins, Textural Parameters, and MRI Parameters.

ABSTRACT: The evolution of structural changes and the textural features during the ripening process of four varieties of Spanish sheep cheese were studied using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Specifically, longitudinal (T₁) and transverse (T₂) relaxation times and apparent diffusion coefficient maps were analyzed. Also, proton density was used to improve the description of the structure of the cheeses. The MRI results displayed important information about cheese matrix structure, associated with different manufacturing processes (industrial vs. traditional), ripening times (RTs, from 2 to 180 days), and geographical origins. A significant interaction between RT and cheese variety related to the variations in physicochemical and textural parameters was found. Li

SUBMITTER: Segura J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11507292 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature