Fenomeni di cessione di rame nella produzione dei formaggi Parmigiano Reggiano e Grana Padano

Copper leaching phenomena were quantitatively determined along Grana Padano (GP) and Parmigiano Reggiano (PR) cheese making. Five different making were followed both for GP and PR. For each cheese making quantitative data such as milk volume (GP 942±8 l; PR 991±11 l), starter volume (GP 29±1 l; PR 33±1 l) and rennet volume (GP 3±0 l; PR 3,5±0 l) were recorded before coagulation, while the mass of cheese (GP 93±3 kg; PR 95±4 kg) and the volume of serum (GP 848±6 l; PR 899±8 l) were recorded after coagulation. Samples of milk, starter, rennet, cheese and serum were taken and analysed by means of ICP-AES for copper determination after microwave assisted wet digestion. The leaching of copper from the cheese vat to cheese was then calculated. On average 0,7g of copper leaches from the cheese vat (GP 0,6±0,2g; PR 0,8±0,1g;). No statistical differences were recorded between PR cheese and GP cheese.