Textural and melting properties of Mozzarella cheese made with fat replacers

Abstract

In this study texture and melting characteristics of full fat Mozzarella cheeses were compared with nonfat cheeses made with two levels (1% and 2.5%) of maltodextrin (Maltrin® M100) fat replacer. Cheeses with skim milk without any fat replacer were also made for comparison. All the 4 batches of cheeses were stored at 4°C for 29 days. Texture analysis including hardness, cohesiveness, springiness and meltability were measured at day 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29. Values for hardness and springiness were significantly higher in the nonfat cheeses compared to the full fat cheese. The hardness and springiness values decreased during storage. The full fat cheese had the highest meltability measured as flow distance in millimetre. There was an improvement in melting properties of all cheeses during storage. The cheese containing 2.5% Maltrin® showed the best melting properties among the nonfat cheeses, suggesting that the addition of fat replacer may improve meltability of nonfat cheeses.