Understanding mozzarella cheese microstructure with Raman confocal imaging

Raman confocal microscopy has the unique ability to interrogate the chemical structure of food samples; here we used the technique to investigate the microstructure in mozzarella cheese. Confocal and Raman confocal images were obtained on mozzarella samples immediately after production and then when aged over 112 d. A previously unseen level of heterogeneity in both the fat and casein regions of the mozzarella was apparent. The results illustrate the potential of Raman confocal imaging to understand both the microstructure and chemistry in complex dairy matrices.