NUTRITIONAL-EVALUATION OF TYPICAL AND REFORMULATED ITALIAN CHEESE

The aim of this work was the nutritional evaluation of reformulated da iry products (caciotta-type cheese) and manufactured either with a low -sodium chloride content (different salting time and/or composition of the brine) or low-fat content (different partially skimmed milks). Th ese cheeses were intended for people on low-energy or low-sodium diets . A comparison was made between these new products and three typical I talian cheeses (Provolone, Taleggio and Pecorino Romano). The nutrient content of the products was determined. Amino acids by chromatographi c methods, protein digestibility by an enzymatic method and lysine ava ilability determined spectrophotometrically were shown not to be influ enced by the salt reduction. The salt reduction also did not affect vi tamin contents (riboflavin, retinols, carotenes and tocopherols) measu red by HPLC methods, while the reduced fat contents (310 g kg(-1), 160 g kg(-1) and 87 g kg(-1)) led to significant decreases in concentrati ons of fat-soluble vitamins (38% for tocopherols and 7% for total reti nols) and a decrease in riboflavin (13%) due to the loss of riboflavin enzymes located on the fat globules (ie xanthine oxidase). Both the t ypical cheeses and the new formulations represent good sources of calc ium and protein. Protein digestibility was affected by the ripening ti me; in fact, in Pecorino Romano, ripened for 6-9 months it reached 62% in 6 h, whereas in Taleggio and in all caciotta-cheeses it reached on ly 32-37%. The nutritional profiles of the reformulated caciotta chees e showed that these products could represent a good choice in low-ener gy and low-sodium diets, but an enrichment of fat-soluble vitamins is advisable in the low-fat products.