THE EFFECT OF REDUCED SALT CONTENT ON THE FUNCTION OF LIPOSOME-ENCAPSULATED NEUTRASE AND HEAT-TREATED LACTOBACILLI IN RINDLESS LOW-FAT CHEESE

Low fat, rindless Dutch-type cheese (20% fat/dry matter) made from che ese milk with added heat-treated lactobacilli and/or Neutrase encapsul ated in DRV liposomes was brined for 5 and 16 h, which resulted in a l ow salt cheese and a normal-salt cheese. Compared to the cheese with t he normal-salt content, low-salt cheese obtained at maturity a signifi cantly lower percentage of dry matter; a higher pH; higher levels of p H 4.6 soluble nitrogen, acetoin, pyro-glutamic acid, pyruvic acid and uric acid; lower levels of acetone, ethanol and lactic acid; a less fi rm texture and a more bitter flavour. The effect of the addition of he at-treated lactobacilli to the cheese seemed to some extent to be salt -dependent. The bitter flavour was significantly more reduced in the l ow-salt cheese than in the normal-salt cheese with added heat-treated lactobacilli after 8 weeks of ripening. The amount of succinic acid wa s decreased in all cheeses with added heat-treated lactobacilli indepe ndent of salt content. The activity of Neutrase encapsulated in DRV li posomes was less influenced by the salt level of the cheese. The low-s alt cheese with added liposome-encapsulated Neutrase was more bitter t han the normal-salt cheese with the same addition.