Mozzarella cheese: 40 years of scientific advancement

An overview is presented of selected advances in the science of mozzarella cheese during the past 40 years. This is not intended to be a comprehensive review but rather to focus on several key milestones in the ongoing quest to understand the physicochemical basis for cheese structure and function. In keeping with the theme of this symposium, this paper highlights the pivotal role that Professor P. F. Fox had in shaping my understanding of mozzarella structure–function and the direction of my research during the past decade. The unfolding of mozzarella science has ebbed and flowed, with significant advances being made early on that were not fully recognized until much later.