A comprehensive evaluation of inulin and whey protein concentrate as fat replacers in low-fat paneer: Physicochemical, textural and sensory studies

Abstract

Paneer, an indigenous dairy product, is used in many Indian recipes. It's popular since it's healthy. It contains plentiful high-quality protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. The objective of this study was to develop a low-fat paneer (LFP) that is fortified with inulin, whey protein concentrate (WPC), and a combination of both (0.25 g/g inulin (S2), 0.30 g/g WPC (S3)), and their combination 0.27 g/g (S4) milk fat replaced respectively) and was compared with the control (S1, from 0.5% fat-containing milk). The skim milk (0.5% fat) was pre-heated to 45 °C and the Inulin, WPC, and their combination was added to the milk and then paneer was made. The inclusion of fat replacers significantly (p < 0.05) affected the sensory characteristics of LFP. S2 received higher acceptability, followed by S1, S3, and S4. Texture profile analysis (TPA) showed significant increases (p < 0.05) in hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness between S1 and S4, but no significant change (p > 0.05) in adhesiveness and springiness. The lightness, redness, and yellowness values of S1, S2, S3, and S4 were 67.94 to 84.89, − 2.17 to - 2.84, and 13.80 to 16.37 respectively. Physicochemical and microbiological quality of LFP were also assessed following storage at 7 ± 1 °C for 0, 3, 5, and 7 days. Significant (p < 0.05) changes in titrable acidity, thiobarbituric acid value, tyrosine, and free fatty acid (FFA) values have been observed in storage. After seven days of storage, all samples showed a decrease in water activity (p < 0.05), with S1 having a value of 0.987 and S2 0.981. During refrigerated storage (up to 7 days), standard plate count (SPC), coliform, yeast, and mold counts significantly differed (p < 0.05) across samples S4 had the greatest SPC (5.35 log cfu/g), coliform (66 cfu/g), yeast, and mold (72 cfu/g) on day 7. S2 was the most accepted storage quality for all treated samples, followed by S3 and S4. Results of the study revealed that an acceptable quality low-fat paneer can be manufactured by incorporating inulin and WPC. The results also suggest that low-fat paneer may help health-conscious consumers, especially those with cardiovascular issues.