New solutions in the technology of low-fat cheeses

Abstract

Low-fat cheeses with the reduced calorie content are of interest both for consumers seeking to reduce the calorie content of the diet, without deteriorating the product taste, and for cheese manufacturers. However, low-fat cheeses made from cow's milk using traditional technologies usually have a mild taste, aroma and coarse consistency. The unsatisfactory quality of this group of cheeses has highlighted the need to search for new methods, including the use of biotechnological means. One of the directions of research is the use, along with the main acid-forming starter microflora, of adjunct cultures, capable of intensifying enzymatic processes during cheese ripening. The article presents the research results of the influence of adjunct cultures of propionic acid bacteria of Propionibacterium freudenreichii in combination with different ripening conditions on the organoleptic characteristics of cheeses with reduced calorie content. It was found that the best result in terms of consistency, taste and aroma was obtained in cheese made with the addition of propionic acid bacteria and ripening at a temperature of 12±1 °C. Ripening of cheeses using a three-stage temperature regime, including 14 days of ageing in a warm ripening room, ensures the formation of eyes of the correct rounded shape, but leads to a deterioration in other organoleptic characteristics.