Lecithin Improves Texture of Reduced Fat Cheeses

Cheddar-type cheeses with 33% fat reduction were made with 0.2 or 0.5% (w/w) lecithin. Reduced fat cheeses with no lecithin and full fat cheeses were prepared as controls. Cheeses were aged 3 mo prior to instrumental and sensory evaluation. Reduced fat cheese with lecithin received higher overall texture scores from dairy judges than reduced fat control cheeses (P ≤ 0.05). Texture scores from dairy judges for cheeses with lecithin were not different from full fat cheeses. Reduced fat cheeses with lecithin were softer than reduced fat control cheeses as measured instrumentally and according to specific attribute panelists (P ≤ 0.05). Cheese wet weight yields were greater with addition of lecithin (P ≤ 0.05) which resulted in a softer more desirable texture in reduced fat cheeses.     

Rheology of Full-fat and Low-fat Cheddar Cheeses as Related to Type of Fat Mimetic

Cheeses with 60% reduced fat were prepared with three fat mimetics and viscoelasticity was studied. Storage and loss moduli of low-fat cheeses made with a carbohydrate-based fat mimetic were greater (p < 0.05) than those of low-fat cheeses made with two protein-based fat mimetics or low-fat control cheese, but smaller (p < 0.05) than the storage and loss moduli of full-fat cheese. A six-element Kelvin model properly predicted the creep compliance for the full-fat cheese and the low-fat cheeses made with or without fat mimetics. Low-fat cheese made with a carbohydrate-based fat mimetic had a network structure more similar to full-fat cheese than the low-fat control or samples made with protein-based fat mimetics.     

Rheological and Sensory Properties of Reduced-Fat Processed Cheeses Containing Lecithin

Reduced fat processed cheeses were prepared with granular or hydrogenated soy lecithin. Trained sensory panelists (n = 11) determined that reduced-fat cheeses containing lecithin were more similar in texture attributes to full-fat control cheeses than reduced fat cheeses without lecithin (P<0.05). Consumer flavor and acceptance scores (n =60) for cheeses with lecithin were not different from control cheeses, but texture acceptance scores for cheeses with lecithin were higher than scores for reduced fat control cheeses (P.0.05). Cheeses containing lecithin were less elastic than reduced fat control cheeses as determined by sensory panels and instrumental percent creep recovery. Lecithin improved processed cheese texture without negatively affecting acceptance.     

Sensory Evaluation of Reduced Fat Cheeses

The objectives of this research were to compare the effects of seven make-procedures on the sensory quality of reduced fat Monterey Jacktype cheeses. Modifications (decreased cook temperature, decreased ripe time, decreased starter, homogenization, added milk-solids-not-fat, added flavor cultures, and washed curd) were incorporated into standard make-procedures for 33% reduced fat (RF) Monterey Jack-type cheeses. Two controls, a standard full fat cheese, and a standard RF cheese, were also prepared. Cheeses were aged 3 and 7 mo prior to sensory evaluation. The full fat control cheese and the washed curd RF cheese received the highest flavor scores from trained dairy judges (n = 9) and the highest flavor and acceptance scores from a consumer panel (n = 125). Washed curd was an effective modification for optimum sensory quality of RF cheeses.     

FAT REPLACERS IN LOW-FAT MEXICAN MANCHEGO CHEESE

Low-fat Manchego cheeses (15 g fat/L milk) were prepared with three commercial fat replacers consisting of low methoxyl pectin (LMP), whey protein concentrate (WPC) and microparticulated whey protein (MWP). A low-fat cheese (15 g fat/L milk) without added fat replacer and a full-fat cheese (30 g fat/L milk) were prepared as controls. Cheeses were matured thirty days prior to instrumental texture profile analysis, microstructure analysis, and discriminative sensory evaluation. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the low-fat cheeses incorporating the LMP and WPC fat replacers lost the compact and dense protein matrix characteristic of the low-fat control cheese and exhibited hardness, springiness, cohesiveness and chewiness similar to the full-fat control cheese. No significant difference was found in the sensory characteristics between the full-fat control cheese and the cheese incorporating WPC.     

Flavour enhancement of low-fat Feta-type cheese using a commercial adjunct culture

The effect of a commercial adjunct culture (CR-213), containing Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris and Lactococcus lactis subsp.lactis, added at the level of 0.06 or 0.09% (w/w) to cheese milk, on the characteristics of the resultant low-fat Feta-type cheese during aging, was studied. Two controls, a full-fat cheese (∼22% fat) and a low-fat cheese (∼7% fat, made using the standard procedure), were also prepared. The results indicated that the adjunct containing low-fat cheeses exhibited no significant (P>0.05) differences in compositional (moisture, fat, protein, salt, pH) or textural (force and compression to fracture, hardness) characteristics in comparison with the low-fat control cheese. It was also found that the use of the adjunct culture slightly improved the flavour intensity of the low-fat cheese which received a flavour score similar to that of the full-fat control cheese. Moreover, the experimental low-fat cheeses received significantly (P<0.05) higher total scores (overall quality) than the low-fat control cheese but lower than the full-fat cheese.     

Improvement in melting and baking properties of low-fat Mozzarella cheese

Low-fat cheeses dehydrate too quickly when baked in a forced air convection oven, preventing proper melting on a pizza. To overcome this problem, low-fat Mozzarella cheese was developed in which fat is released onto the cheese surface during baking to prevent excessive dehydration. Low-fat Mozzarella cheese curd was made with target fat contents of 15, 30, 45, and 60 g/kg using direct acidification of the milk to pH 5.9 before renneting. The 4 portions of cheese curd were comminuted and then mixed with sufficient glucono-δ-lactone and melted butter (45, 30, 15, or 0 g/kg, respectively), then pressed into blocks to produce low-fat Mozzarella cheese with about 6% fat and pH 5.2. The cheeses were analyzed after 15, 30, 60, and 120 d of storage at 5°C for melting characteristics, texture, free oil content, dehydration performance, and stretch when baked on a pizza at 250°C for 6 min in a convection oven. Cheeses made with added butter had higher stretchability compared with the control cheese. Melting characteristics also improved in contrast to the control cheese, which remained in the form of shreds during baking and lacked proper melting. The cheeses made with added butter had higher free oil content, which correlated (R² ≥ 0.92) to the amount of butterfat added, and less hardness and gumminess compared with the control low fat cheese.     

Low-fat mozzarella as influenced by microbial exopolysaccharides, preacidification, and whey protein concentrate

Low-fat Mozzarella cheeses containing 6% fat were made by preacidification of milk, preacidification combined with exopolysaccharide- (EPS-) producing starter, used independently or as a coculture with non-EPS starter, and preacidification combined with whey protein concentrate (WPC) and EPS. The impact of these treatments on moisture retention, changes in texture profile analysis, cheese melt, stretch, and on pizza bake performance were investigated over 45 d of storage at 4°C. Preacidified cheeses without EPS (control) had the lowest moisture content (53.75%). These cheeses were hardest and exhibited greatest springiness and chewiness. The meltability and stretchability of these cheeses increased most during the first 28 d of storage. The moisture content in cheeses increased to 55.08, 54.79, and 55.82% with EPS starter (containing 41.18 mg/g of EPS), coculturing (containing 28.61 mg/g of EPS), and WPC (containing 44.23 mg/g of EPS), respectively. Exopolysaccharide reduced hardness, springiness, and chewiness of low-fat cheeses made with preacidified milk in general and such cheeses exhibited an increase in cohesiveness and meltability. Although stretch distance was similar in all cheeses, those containing EPS were softer than the control. Cocultured cheeses exhibited the greatest meltability. Cheeses containing WPC were softest in general; however, hardness remained unchanged over 45 d. Cheeses made with WPC had the least increase in meltability over time. Incorporation of WPC did not reduce surface scorching or increase shred fusion of cheese shreds during pizza baking; however, there was an improvement in these properties between d 7 and 45. Coating of the cheese shreds with oil was necessary for adequate browning, melt, and flow characteristics in all cheese types.     

High Pressure Treatment of Milk and Effects on Microbiological and Sensory Quality of Cheddar Cheese

The effect of cycled high pressure treatment of milk on the yield, sensory, and microbiological quality of Cheddar cheese was investigated. Cheddar cheeses were made from pasteurized, raw, or pressure treated milk according to traditional methods. Flavor scores from trained dairy judges were not different for pasteurized and pressurized milk cheeses (P≤0.05). Percent moisture and wet weight yields of pressure treated milk cheeses were higher than pasteurized or raw milk cheeses (P≤0.05). Microbiological quality of pressurized milk cheeses was comparable to pasteurized milk cheeses. Texture defects were present in pressurized milk cheeses and were attributed to excess moisture. High pressure treatment of milk shows promise as an alternative to heat pasteurization prior to cheesemaking.     

Perception of Heat in Cheese Sauces as Affected by Capsaicin Concentration, Fat Level, Fat Mimetic and Time

Perceived heat intensity in cheese sauces with five capsaicin levels, three fat levels and four fat mimetics was studied with time intensity techniques. Heat intensity was not related to fat mimetic. No differences occurred among fat levels at 0.0 and 0.4 ppm capsaicin. At 0.8 ppm capsaicin, maximum and total heat intensities of reduced- and low-fat sauces were equal; both were lower in full-fat sauces (P<0.001). Low-fat sauces exhibited greater maximum heat and total intensity than full-fat at 1.2 ppm capsaicin. At 1.6 ppm capsaicin, low-fat sauces had greater total intensity than either reduced-or full-fat (P<0.05) sauces. At low-fat levels, lower capsaicin concentrations provided heat equal to higher concentrations in full-fat cheese sauces.     

Influence of fat replacers on chemical composition, proteolysis, texture profiles, meltability and sensory properties of low-fat Kashar cheese

Changes in chemical composition, proteolysis, lipolysis, texture, melting and sensory properties of low-fat Kashar cheese made with three different fat replacers (Simplesse D-100, Avicel Plus CM 2159 or beta-glucan) were investigated throughout ripening. The low-fat cheeses made with fat replacers were compared with full- and low-fat counterparts as controls. Reduction of fat caused increases in moisture and protein contents and decreases in moisture-in-non fat substance and yield values in low-fat cheeses. The use of fat replacers in the manufacture of low-fat Kashar cheese increased water binding capacity and improved overall quality of the cheeses. Use of fat replacer in low-fat cheese making has enhanced cheese proteolysis. All samples underwent lipolysis during ripening and low-fat cheeses with fat replacers had higher level of total free fatty acid than full- or low-fat control cheeses. Texture attributes and meltability significantly increased with addition of fat replacers. Sensory scores showed that the full-fat cheese was awarded best in all stages of ripening and low-fat variant of Kashar cheeses have inferior quality. However, fat replacers except beta-glucan improved the appearance, texture and flavour attributes of low-fat cheeses. When the fat replacers are compared, the low-fat cheese with Avicel Plus CM 2159 was highly acceptable and had sensory attributes closest to full-fat Kashar cheese.     

Utilization of interesterified fat in the production of Turkish white cheese

The chemical, physicochemical, proteolysis, sensory, and texture characteristics of white cheeses made from interesterified fat were examined throughout ripening for 90 days. The water-soluble nitrogen based ripening indexes of cheeses increased throughout the ripening period. However, there were not large quantitative differences between the peptide profiles of the all cheese samples. Cheeses produced by using fully interesterified fat had higher values for hardness, chewiness, and gumminess than that of control cheese (p<0.05). The polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratios of cheeses were increased due to the presence of interesterified fat. The cholesterol values of cheeses decreased at the rate of between 58.83–89.04% depending on interesterified fat addition. In the sensory analysis, similar scores were obtained for both the control cheese and the other cheeses. The results showed that interesterified fat in cheese production could be used to fully or partially replace the milk fat in cheese.     

Influence of microfiltration and adjunct culture on quality of Domiati cheese

The effects of microfiltration and pasteurization processes on proteolysis, lipolysis, and flavor development in Domiati cheese during 2 mo of pickling were studied. Cultures of starter lactic acid bacteria isolated from Egyptian dairy products were evaluated in experimental Domiati cheese for flavor development capabilities. In the first trial, raw skim milk was microfiltered and then the protein:fat ratio was standardized using pasteurized cream. Pasteurized milk with same protein:fat ratio was also used in the second trial. The chemical composition of cheeses seemed to be affected by milk treatment—microfiltration or pasteurization—rather than by the culture types. The moisture content was higher and the pH was lower in pasteurized milk cheeses than in microfiltered milk cheeses at d 1 of manufacture. Chemical composition of experimental cheeses was within the legal limits for Domiati cheese in Egypt. Proteolysis and lipolysis during cheese pickling were lower in microfiltered milk cheeses compared with pasteurized milk cheeses. Highly significant variations in free amino acids, free fatty acids, and sensory evaluation were found among the cultures used in Domiati cheesemaking. The cheese made using adjunct culture containing Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. lactis, Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Enterococcus faecium received high scores in flavor acceptability. Cheeses made from microfiltered milk received a higher score in body and texture compared with cheeses made from pasteurized milk.     

Impact of fat reduction on flavor and flavor chemistry of Cheddar cheeses

A current industry goal is to produce a 75 to 80% fat-reduced Cheddar cheese that is tasty and appealing to consumers. Despite previous studies on reduced-fat cheese, information is critically lacking in understanding the flavor and flavor chemistry of reduced-fat and nonfat Cheddar cheeses and how it differs from its full-fat counterpart. The objective of this study was to document and compare flavor development in cheeses with different fat contents so as to quantitatively characterize how flavor and flavor development in Cheddar cheese are altered with fat reduction. Cheddar cheeses with 50% reduced-fat cheese (RFC) and low-fat cheese containing 6% fat (LFC) along with 2 full-fat cheeses (FFC) were manufactured in duplicate. Cheeses were ripened at 8°C and samples were taken following 2 wk and 3, 6, and 9 mo for sensory and instrumental volatile analyses. A trained sensory panel (n = 10 panelists) documented flavor attributes of cheeses. Volatile compounds were extracted by solid-phase microextraction or solvent-assisted flavor evaporation followed by separation and identification using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-olfactometry. Selected compounds were quantified using external standard curves. Sensory properties of cheeses were distinct initially but more differences were documented as cheeses aged. By 9 mo, LFC and RFC displayed distinct burnt/rosy flavors that were not present in FFC. Sulfur flavor was also lower in LFC compared with other cheeses. Forty aroma-active compounds were characterized in the cheeses by headspace or solvent extraction followed by gas chromatography-olfactometry. Compounds were largely not distinct between the cheeses at each time point, but concentration differences were evident. Higher concentrations of furanones (furaneol, homofuraneol, sotolon), phenylethanal, 1-octen-3-one, and free fatty acids, and lower concentrations of lactones were present in LFC compared with FFC after 9 mo of ripening. These results confirm that flavor differences documented between full-fat and reduced-fat cheeses are not due solely to differences in matrix and flavor release but also to distinct differences in ripening biochemistry, which leads to an imbalance of many flavor-contributing compounds.     

Concentrated emulsions as novel fat replacers in reduced-fat and low-fat Cheddar cheeses. Part 2. Large amplitude oscillatory shear behavior

Lower-fat cheeses with desirable texture can be difficult to produce. The objective of this study was to characterize the effects of concentrated emulsions as a fat replacer on the viscoelastic properties of reduced-fat (15% fat) and low-fat (6% fat) Cheddar cheeses. Concentrated emulsions were prepared by adding a fish gelatin–gum arabic mixture at pH 5.0 and 3.6 to olive oil at a water:oil ratio of 30:70 (w/w). Cheddar cheeses containing emulsions were made by adding the emulsions to skim milk after adding starter culture and before renneting and subsequent cheesemaking. Two control cheeses at each fat level were produced using either olive oil or cream. Cheeses containing emulsions showed greater nonlinearity under large amplitude oscillatory shear, and smaller critical stress and moduli values compared with controls at all storage timepoints. These results were ascribed to greater casein network discontinuity and more open spaces created by aggregated emulsion droplets.     

Effect of high-pressure treatments on proteolysis and texture of ewes’ raw milk La Serena cheese

La Serena cheeses, made from Merino ewes’ raw milk, were high-pressure (HP)-treated at 300 or 400 MPa for 10 min at 10 °C, on days 2 or 50 of ripening. Cheeses treated by HP on day 2 showed higher pH values than control cheese on day 3, but cheeses treated by HP on days 2 or 50 and control cheese had similar pH values on day 60. Breakdown of caseins was delayed by HP treatment of cheeses on day 2. Cheeses treated by HP on day 2 showed higher levels of hydrophilic peptides, lower levels of hydrophobic peptides, lower hydrophobic peptides: hydrophilic peptides ratios, and higher total contents of free amino acids than those of control cheese. HP treatment of cheese on day 50 scarcely affected proteolysis of 60-day-old cheeses. Fracturability, hardness and elasticity values of cheeses treated by HP on day 2 were higher than those of control cheese and of cheeses treated on day 50. Cheeses treated at 400 MPa on day 2 received the lowest scores for quality of taste from panellists, whereas the rest of HP-treated cheeses did not differ from control cheese.