![](media/image1.png){width="0.8333333333333334in"
height="0.5458333333333333in"}United States Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Research Service

EASTERN REGIONAL RESEARCH CENTER FACT SHEET

**PROCESSING METHODS FOR HISPANIC-STYLE CHEESES**

**WITH UNIQUE FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES**

**Dairy Processing & Products Research Unit (DPPRU)**

**Background:**

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="2.5993055555555555in" height="3.0in"}

The American consumer and food service industries are demanding new
cheeses that are nutritious and safe, have great flavor and texture, and
have properties that fit specific recipe requirements. Hispanic-style
cheeses meet this challenge because of the diversity in their flavors,
textures, and cooking traits. Hispanic-style cheeses are defined as
cheeses developed in the Spanish-speaking countries of Mexico, the
Caribbean, and Central and South America. The cheese making methods
originally brought by settlers for European-style cheeses have, over the
years, been modified by various factors and cultural preferences to
produce cheeses that have different combinations of flavors, textures,
and cooking properties.

Hispanic-style cheeses are one of the fastest growing styles of cheese
in the U.S. because of the growing Hispanic population and the
incorporation of the Hispanic cuisine into the American diet. Federal
Standards of Identity for Hispanic-style cheese have not been
established and, as a result, considerable brand-to-brand variation
exists for these cheeses sold in the U.S. In Mexico, traditionally-made
cheeses are usually manufactured from raw milk and are noted for their
unique flavor and cooking properties. However, the cheeses also have
limited shelf life because of a high microbial load that may lead to
food safety concerns. In the U.S., cheesemilk must be pasteurized for
all cheeses that are sold fresh (less than 60 days of aging). Because
pasteurization reduces much of the natural microflora in milk, cultures
must be added back during the cheesemaking process and, as a result,
Hispanic-style cheeses made in the U.S. typically do not have the same
flavor and properties of the traditionally-made (raw milk) cheeses.

Research is needed to characterize the attributes (chemical, functional,
textural, sensorial, and microbiological) that make Hispanic-style
cheeses unique, to understand the impact of processing conditions on the
properties of the cheeses, and to determine the interrelationships among
the properties, such as the role of microflora present in
traditionally-made and pasteurized milk cheeses in flavor development
and formation and stability of the cheese matrix.

**Research** **Objectives:**

The objectives of this research are to evaluate three popular
Hispanic-style cheeses (Queso Blanco, Queso Chihuahua or Menonita, and
Queso Fresco) in the following manner:

![](media/image4.png){width="1.25in" height="2.125in"}**1**.
Characterize and quantify the chemical, functional, and physical
properties of traditionally-made and pasteurized Hispanic-style cheeses.

![](media/image6.jpeg){width="1.5in" height="1.125in"}

**2.** Identify the cheesemaking steps or parameters that are
responsible for giving the cheeses their unique characteristics, and
develop cheesemaking methods to produce pasteurized Hispanic-style
cheeses that meet U.S. regulations and retain the desirable properties
of the traditionally-made cheeses.

![](media/image7.png){width="1.25in" height="0.9375in"}**3. a)** Develop
sensory flavor and texture profiles for the cheeses to determine the key
sensory properties that define the cheeses.

**b)** Characterize the microflora found in the traditionally-made (raw
milk) cheeses, determine their roles in creating the unique properties
of the cheeses, and identify culture blends for making Hispanic-style
cheeses.

**c)** Determine degree of proteolysis in Hispanic-style cheeses and
related to flavor/ texture development, the microflora present in the
cheeses, and the stability of the cheese matrix (functional and textural
properties).

![](media/image8.png){width="2.5833333333333335in"
height="1.2173611111111111in"}

**Benefits of Research:**

Overall, this research will provide guidelines to help cheese producers
meet the growing market demand for quality Hispanic-style cheeses and
will help expand the utilization of American produced dairy foods in
domestic and foreign markets.

**Accomplishments:**

For the American consumer to enjoy a truly authentic Hispanic dish, the
meal must be prepared using Hispanic-style cheeses that are true to
their traditional tastes, textures, and cooking traits.

-   The different Hispanic‑style cheeses can now be identified by the
    unique characteristics that make them different from other cheeses
    available in the market. Our research provides the quantitative data
    required by Federal and State agencies to develop Standards of
    Identity for use by the cheese industry and specifications needed to
    bring Hispanic‑style cheeses into Federal food programs such as the
    School Lunch Program. The distinctive properties (such as flavor,
    texture, and cooking traits) are available for Queso Chihuahua
    (Menonita), Queso Fresco, and Queso Blanco.

-   Cheese making trials are underway to identify the manufacturing
    steps that contribute to the uniqueness of Queso Chihuahua
    (Menonita). Once perfected, the cheese making protocols will result
    in uniform, high‑quality Hispanic‑style cheeses that retain the
    desired flavors and properties of the traditionally‑made cheeses.

-   The unique flavors and textures found in Hispanic cheeses are
    related to the bacteria found in the cheeses. Our research has
    identified the specific cultures found in traditionally‑made Queso
    Chihuahua (Menonita) and Queso Fresco cheeses. This is the first
    step in understanding their role in making Hispanic-style cheeses
    unique.

**Collaborative research and dissemination of research**

![](media/image9.png){width="2.75in" height="0.5in"}Collaborative
research with Dr. MaryAnne Drake, Southern Dairy Research Center, North
Carolina State University, Raleigh, to develop sensory traits of
Hispanic-style cheeses.

Specific Cooperative Agreements with the Centro Investigacion en
Alimentacion y Desarrollo (CIAD) -Cuauhtémoc and CIAD-Hermosillo to
study local traditionally-made cheeses.

![](media/image11.png){width="2.5in" height="0.625in"}USDA, Foreign
Agricultural Service, three year grant. "Modification of Cheesemaking
Parameters to Extend the Shelf-life of Hispanic-Style Fresh Cheese" to
partially support the collaborative research between DPPRU, ARS, and
CIAD-Cuauhtémoc.

-   Three symposia have been organized to highlight Hispanic-style
    cheeses at the annual scientific meetings of the American Dairy
    Science Association, the Institute of Food Technologists, and the
    American Chemical Society. Through our CIAD collaborator, one
    workshop has been organized for cheese manufacturers in Mexico.

-   Since 2002, 11 research posters have been presented at the annual
    meetings of different professional associations.

-   Since 2001, collaborations established with specialty cheese
    producers.

**Principal Investigators:** Diane Van Hekken (Lead Scientist, Chemist),
Moushumi Paul (Chemist), John Renye (Microbiologist), Michael Tunick
(Chemist), Neil Goldberg (Mechanical Engineer), Peggy Tomasula (Research
Leader, Chemical Engineer)

**Project Personnel:** Susan Iandola, Raymond Kwoczak, John Mulherin,
James Shieh, Brien Sullivan.

<http://ars.usda.gov/naa/errc/dppru> file updated November 15, 2006

Other links

[www.ciad.mx](http://www.ciad.mx/)

[www.ncsu.edu](http://www.ncsu.edu/) and
[www.ncsu.edu/sensory/](http://www.ncsu.edu/sensory/)

[www.fas.usda.gov/icd/rsed/res-scient-exchangesold.asp](http://www.fas.usda.gov/icd/rsed/res-scient-exchangesold.asp)