Calcium Fortification of Cottage Cheese with Hydrocolloid Control of Bitter Flavor Defects

Abstract

Several hydrocolloids masked bitter tasting Ca salts added to cottage cheese. Cottage cheese dressing was partially replaced by hydrocolloid and fortified with calcium chloride, calcium phosphate, calcium lactate, calcium carbonate, or calcium citrate and evaluated for bitterness at equal calcium levels. Calcium lactate was the least bitter salt and was studied further. Solutions of gum arabic (20%), low viscosity guar gum (2.5%), carrageenan (1.5%), and xanthan gum (.2%) replaced 10 to 30% of cottage cheese dressing. In preliminary tests with a single judge, cottage cheese containing 7.5 mg/g guar gum and locust bean gum had no bitter taste at 117mg and 73mg added Ca/100g, respectively. Cottage cheese containing 7.5 mg/g mixture (1:l) of guar gum and locust bean gum had no bitter taste at 73mg added Ca/100g. Sensory analysis (n = 35) data indicated that bitterness of cheese with added calcium and guar was not different from the negative control (without added calcium and guar) and was significantly less than that of the positive control (with added calcium and without added guar). The added guar caused a decrease in overall preference attributable to a foreign taste in the guar extract used.