Extension Questions Moisture Content: A factor that alters the process of making cheese is moisture content. Moisture content allows cheese to vary from soft to firm textures. Fresh or unripened cheese has a very high moisture content ranging from 55-80%. After draining these fresh cheeses, they involve very little processing, and tend to be bland in flavour. Some examples of soft cheeses include Cottage cheese, Cream cheese, and Ricotta. Soft cheeses are ripened for a relatively short period of time before being drained. They also have high moisture ranging from 45-55%. Some examples of soft cheeses include Mozzarella, Blue cheese, and Brie. Semi-firm cheeses have medium moisture content ranging from 34-45%. Some examples of this type of cheese include Cheddar, Swiss, Gouda, and Edam. The last cheese characteristic is very hard cheese which has the lowest amount of moisture content, ranging from 13-34%. Some examples of hard cheese are Parmesan, and Romano cheese. The texture of these hard cheese is rather granular allowing it to be perfect for shredding and grating (Science Learning Hub, 2012). Treating Muscle and Joint Inflammation: A new study has shown that enzymes can have other applications in the medicine and food industry. One of these applications is to help alleviate pain and inflammation in muscles and joints. There are several enzymes that can be used for different types of pains and swelling. Some enzymes include amylase which helps us digest carbohydrates and “if taken on an empty stomach it has antihistamine effects and alleviates inflammation linked to skin conditions” (Cook, 2010). This enzyme is also commonly used by athletes because “it increases joint mobility and relieves muscle pain and inflammation” (Cook, 2010). Lipase helps relieve swelling and muscle spasms due to calcium deficiency. “Proteolytic enzymes digest protein by aiding in the digestion process, breaking it down into amino acids. They can be taken as a supplement, but better yet, they can be found in certain foods” (Axe, 2015). An example of such foods is papaya which contains the enzyme called papain, which is helpful in treating inflammations and swelling. These proteolytic enzymes are important because they “encourage healing of tissues and muscle recovery” (Axe, 2015). The three most common proteolytic enzymes include pepsin, bromelain and papain. Bromelain is an enzyme found in pineapple and is also helpful in treating inflammation related to injuries, swellings, and blood clots. References Cook, M. S. (2010, December 17). Treating Pain and Inflammation with Enzymes. Retrieved March 26, 2017, from http://www.care2.com/greenliving/treating-pain-and-inflammationwith-enzymes.html Creating Different Cheese Characteristics . (2012, April 11). Retrieved March 26, 2017, from https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/829-creating-different-cheese-characteristics Home. (n.d.). Retrieved March 26, 2017, from https://www.uoguelph.ca/foodscience/bookpage/heat-acid-coagulation Proteolytic Enzymes Reduce Inflammation and Boost Immunity. (2015, October 15). Retrieved March 26, 2017, from https://draxe.com/proteolytic-enzymes/ The classification of cheeses. (n.d.). Retrieved March 26, 2017, from http://www.ikonet.com/en/visualdictionary/static/us/classification_cheeses Tranchant, C. C. (2000, March). Coagulation Behaviour of Differently Acidified and Reunited Milk and The Effects of Pre-Treatment of Milk. Retrieved March 26, 2017, from http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape2/PQDD_0022/NQ51049.pdf
