Haematin compounds and tallowy discoloration in Cheddar cheese

Abstract

SummaryEvidence linking a Cheddar cheese defect, known as ‘tallowy discoloration’, with a haematin-catalysed oxidation of the fat is presented. The defect has been produced experimentally by incorporating blood in the cheese-milk. The possibility that excessive amounts of blood in the cheese-milk may be a prime cause of tallowy discoloration is discussed.