Textural properties of fresh cheese as affected by post-processing: particle cluster formation, characterization, and size reduction

The aim of the thesis was to study the effect of post-processing on textural properties in concentrated microgel suspensions like fresh cheese. Thereby, the objective was to investigate the effect of tempering on the particle size and the kinetics of particle cluster formation to deduce information about how to control the particle size. Beyond this objective, properties of the soft microgel particles were to be characterized. Finally, mechanical post-processing was applied to grainy fresh cheese to investigate the potential to regenerate a smooth texture. Overall, the results elaborated within this thesis and their practical applicability provide both the scientific literature and the industry with essential information to control the particle size and textural properties. This helps to adjust textural properties for different applications, to create innovative textures, and to save raw material.