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Food Science and Technology QUESTION #5919
Question 1
Plasmin, an important endogenous milk protease, is significant in cheese ripening because it:
  • Is completely inactivated during HTST pasteurization and has no role in cheese
  • Survives pasteurization and even UHT treatment, and preferentially hydrolyzes \(\beta\)-casein and \(\alpha_{s2}\)-casein during ripening✔️
  • Acts specifically on whey proteins, not casein
  • Requires \(\text{pH} < 4.0\) for activity
Correct Answer Explanation
Plasmin is an alkaline serine protease (optimum \(\text{pH}\;7\text{–}8\)) that is heat stable — it partially survives HTST and significantly survives UHT. It preferentially attacks \(\beta\)-casein and \(\alpha_{s2}\)-casein. In Emmental and Gouda cheeses, plasmin activity during maturation is important for texture and flavor development.