Improvement of sensory quality of low-fat Kefalograviera-type cheese with commercial adjunct cultures

Abstract

Abstract The effect of two commercially available adjunct cultures, LBC 80 (Lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus) and CR-213 (containing Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris and L. lactis subsp. lactis) on the compositional, sensory and textural characteristics of low-fat hard ewes’ milk cheese of the Kefalograviera-type was investigated. Two controls, a full-fat cheese (30.6 g 100 g−1 fat, 37.8 g 100 g−1 moisture) and a low-fat cheese (9.7 g 100 g−1 fat, 48.6 g 100 g−1 moisture, made using a modified procedure), were also prepared. The results indicated that the addition of the adjunct cultures did not significantly (P>0.05) affect the composition (moisture, fat, protein, salt, pH) and textural characteristics (force and compression to fracture, hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess, chewiness) of the low-fat cheese. The low-fat cheeses made with the adjunct cultures received significantly higher scores for flavour intensity and body and texture than the control low-fat cheese after 90 and 180 days ripening. Moreover, the low-fat cheeses made with adjunct cultures received flavour scores similar to those of the full-fat cheese, but significantly lower body and texture scores.