Solid-state 31P NMR, a relevant method to evaluate the distribution of phosphates in semi-hard cheeses
Résumé
The potentiality of solid-state 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to determine in a non-destructive way the different states of phosphates in cheeses was examined. Sixteen semi-hard cheeses of various compositions were studied, and three fractions of phosphates (P) were distinguished according to their mobility: (1) mobile soluble P (ca. 10 % of total P), (2) mobile insoluble P (70 %) and (3) immobile insoluble P (20 %). In accordance with chemical composition and buffering capacities of the cheeses, these fractions could represent respectively (1) soluble inorganic P, (2) inorganic colloidal calcium P and phosphorylated serine residues (Pser) involved in a loose structure and (3) Pser involved in a tight environment. This method was shown to be of sufficient accuracy to evidence the effect of ripening on the different P fractions. It was thus demonstrated that solid-state NMR is an appropriate method to observe the distribution of phosphates in cheese matrix and their evolution during cheese-making.