One of the most crucial processes with a significant
impact on cheese quality is syneresis (Dejmek and Walstra,
2004), which can be defined as the expulsion of whey
from the curd by cutting, stirring and heating. Coagulation
and syneresis conditions mark the final properties of
a cheese, because of their influence on the moisture, protein
and fat contents. The dry matter content, composition
of whey and final product characteristics are largely determined
by the control carried out during syneresis and by
the release of the whey by mechanical and physical actions
exerted during processing (Rovira et al., 2011). Rovira et al.
(2012) confirmed that monitoring syneresis is a useful
tool for attaining the desired final cheese moisture content
although coagulation and syneresis conditions must
be carefully controlled. The same authors observed that
cheese yield and textural properties can also be predicted
by monitoring syneresis.