Improving the texture of cheese product from cow's milk through the coagulation process using a combination of papain and transglutaminase enzyme

In this research, the aim is to improve the cheese texture made from fresh cow's milk, but using different coagulating enzyme to replace rennet enzyme, by using combination of papain and transglutaminase enzyme. The colloid of milk contains two major proteins, casein and whey protein. The important source of protein to make cheese in the milk is the casein component, which the form of casein micelle can be coagulated by adjusting the pH of milk. But, this coagulation process is mainly generated by the surface interaction between micelles which are caused to the surface charge of micelles near to isoelectric charge. So, the formation of cheese product by pH controlling is considered to have no good texture. Based on the enzymatic reaction of casein protein molecule, the coagulation process of milk to cheese can be proceeded by coagulation agent of specific enzyme. The performance of papain enzyme can be used to coagulate casein micelle in the appropriate condition and the Transglutaminase enzyme is used to increase the yield and improving the texture, due to the its ability by the cross-linking reaction between protein molecules. To confirm the improving cheese texture, the research is conducted by making process mode consists of three variations of transglutaminase enzyme addition, and then the yield and texture is observed. The experimental variables that will be studied are the composition of transglutaminase enzyme added (0.5, 1, 2 UE/gram milk protein). From the experiment, the yield obtained is 23%, with pH 6.3, and zeta potential value of 0.97. Microstructure of cheese is observed with Scanning Electron Microscope on 500x, 1000x, and 2000x magnification, which shows that the addition of transglutaminase causes more compact and bigger coagulum.