Quality control of cheese maturation and defects using ultrasonics

Ultrasonic velocity in Mahon cheese increased during maturation ranging from 1624 to 1737 m/s. A quadratic equation was used to describe this increase. This equation could be used to assess the maturation time under specific maturing conditions in order to classify the pieces in different categories. Through-transmission and pulse-echo techniques were used to detect cracks within the pieces formed by abnormal fermentations. In pulse-echo mode it was possible to detect all the cracked pieces and also to assess the distance to the surface. These ultrasonic measurements are nondestructive, allowing control over all the pieces of a batch.