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Title: RHEOLOGY OF LOW-FAT CHEDDAR CHEESES MADE WITH EXOPOLYSACCHARIDE-PRODUCING CULTURES

Author
item Tunick, Michael
item Van Hekken, Diane
item Malin, Edyth
item GUINEE, TIMOTHY - TEAGASC/IRELAND
item BERESFORD, THOMAS - TEAGASC/IRELAND
item BROADBENT, JEFFREY - UTAH STATE UNIVER.
item MCMAHON, DONALD - UTAH STATE UNIVER.

Submitted to: American Chemical Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/10/2002
Publication Date: 3/23/2003
Citation: Tunick, M.H., Van Hekken, D.L., Malin, E.L., Guinee, T.P., Beresford, T.P., Broadbent, J., McMahon, D.J. 2003. Rheology of low-fat cheddar cheeses made with exopolysaccharide-producing cultures. (abstract). American Chemical Society. Paper No. AGF0063.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Low-fat cheeses are recommended as part of a healthy diet, but their textural and functional properties are often unacceptable to consumers. In an effort to improve the quality of these products, Cheddar cheeses containing half the usual amount of fat were prepared using adjunct cultures that produce exopolysaccharides (EPS), which have been shown to increase moisture content and meltability in Mozzarella cheese. In addition to the starter culture (Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis), strains of Streptococcus thermophilus, which completely encapsulates its cells with EPS, and of Lactobacillus lactis ssp. cremoris, which are 90% self-encapsulated, were added. Cheeses made with Lb. lactis contained more moisture (45.8-47.2%) than controls made with no added EPS-producing strains (44.9-45.8%) or the cheeses made with S. thermophilus (44.7-45.7%). All of the cheeses exhibited similar hardness (obtained by texture profile analysis, TPA) and shear stress (obtained by torsion gelometry) as they aged. The TPA cohesiveness, TPA chewiness, and torsion shear strain values of the Lb. lactis cheeses were lower than those of the control and S. thermophilus cheeses, and the meltability and TPA springiness values were higher, because the Lb. lactis cheeses had a more open structure which is more conducive to mastication and melting. The results suggest that the addition of EPS-producing cultures of Lb. lactis enhances the texture and functionality of low-fat Cheddar cheese.