Cheese

John Lucey, Director of the Center for Dairy Research at University of Wisconsin in Madison, explains how cheese makers leverage chemistry to transform milk into cheese. It involves special "starter cultures" of microbes that convert lactose, "milk sugar;" into lactic acid; enzymes that "clot" milk proteins into a gel; separation of the solid curds from the watery whey; and other steps. Lucey explains how food scientists use analytical chemistry techniques to test the levels of fat, protein, and flavor compounds in cheese to ensure a tasty, nutritious product.