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Food Science and Technology QUESTION #5989
Question 1
Sodium hexametaphosphate and trisodium citrate are used as emulsifying salts in processed cheese. Their mechanism involves:
  • Acting as antimicrobial agents preventing mold growth
  • Chelating \(\text{Ca}^{2+}\) from the casein-calcium phosphate complex, solubilizing and dispersing casein proteins to form a stable protein-fat emulsion upon heating ('creaming of casein')✔️
  • Lowering the \(\text{pH}\) to improve acid-gel formation
  • Crosslinking casein proteins through phosphate bridges
Correct Answer Explanation
Emulsifying salts in processed cheese work via \(\text{Ca}^{2+}\) chelation (sequestration). By removing \(\text{Ca}^{2+}\) from casein-calcium-phosphate linkages, they break down the protein matrix, allowing individual casein molecules to hydrate, unfold, and interact with fat at the interface during heating ('creaming of casein').