Water status and dynamics of high-moisture Mozzarella cheese as affected by frozen and refrigerated storage

High-moisture Mozzarella is one of the most exported cheeses worldwide, but affected by short shelf-life. Freezing can help to reduce waste, but its effect on quality needs to be considered. In this study, the physico-chemical changes of Mozzarella occurring during frozen storage and subsequent refrigerated storage (after thawing) were evaluated. Frozen cheeses stored at −18 °C between 1 and 4 months showed microstructural damage and different...