Abstract
Low-calorie and low-fat foods have been introduced to the market to fight the increasing incidence of overweightness and obesity. New approaches and high-quality fat replacers may overcome the poor organoleptic properties of such products. A model of processed cheese spread (PCS) was produced as a full-fat version and with three levels of fat reduction (30%, 50%, and 70%). Fat was replaced by water or by corn dextrin (CD), a dietary fiber. Additionally, in the 50% reduced-fat spreads, fat was replaced by various ratios of CD and lactose (100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100). The effect of each formulation was determined by measuring the textural (firmness, stickiness, and spreadability), rheological (flow behavior and oscillating rheology), tribological, and microstructural (cryo-SEM) properties of the samples, as well as the dynamic aroma release of six aroma compounds typically found in cheese. Winter’s critical gel theory was a good approach to characterizing PCS with less instrumental effort and costs: the gel strength and interaction factors correlated very well with the spreadability and lubrication properties of the spreads. CD and fat exhibited similar interaction capacities with the aroma compounds, resulting in a similar release pattern. Overall, the properties of the sample with 50% fat replaced by CD were most similar to those of the full-fat sample. Thus, CD is a promising fat replacer in PCS and, most likely, in other dairy-based emulsions.
Highlights
The effect of each formulation was determined by measuring the textural, rheological, tribological, and microstructural properties of the samples, as well as the dynamic aroma release of six aroma compounds typically found in cheese
We have investigated the rheological, textural, and tribological properties, as well as the spreadability, flow behavior, and aroma release in a model processed cheese spread (PCS) with three fat reduction levels, where fat was replaced by either water, corn dextrin, or various ratios of corn dextrin and lactose
High corn dextrin (CD) concentrations had an impact on firmness, stickiness, gel strength, interaction factor, flowability, melting temperature, and the aroma release of hydrophobic aroma compounds
Summary
The consumption of high-energy foods and beverages, combined with a sedentary lifestyle is the main cause of overweightness and obesity worldwide, which are associated with health concerns, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, as well as, subsequently, high healthcare costs [1–3]. Processed cheese products are stable oil-in-water emulsions, supported by a gel network of hydrated and emulsified casein proteins, whereby the fat content is mainly responsible for its texture, color, and taste [5–9]. The basic raw material for conventional processed cheese is natural cheese, which is subsequently mixed with other dairy and non-dairy ingredients, such as butter, cream, (skim) milk powder, water, and emulsifying salts [11]. Natural cheeses mainly consist of milk fat, protein, such as caseins, and moisture. We used a model of PCS where we replaced the natural cheese base by adding its main components as single ingredients. The effect of dry matter, protein, and fat content on the textural, rheological, and structural properties of PCS has been studied by several researchers [13–15]. Previous findings suggest that the reduction of fat in cheese causes structural, functional, and sensory deficiencies [16,17]
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