MANUFACTURE OF LOW-FAT MOZZARELLA CHEESE USING EXOPOLYSACCHARIDE-PRODUCING STARTER CULTURES

Exopolysaccharide-producing starter cultures, consisting of single str ains of Streptococcus thermophilus MR-1C and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus MR-1R, were used to make three trials of low fat (6% fat) Mozzarella cheese. Our aim was to determine whether observations made using small [10-kg (22-lb) capacity] vats with manual stretching of curd could be replicated using pilot-scale [454-kg (1000-lb) capaci ty] double-O vats with mechanical stirring and stretching of the curd. A control cheese was made using S. thermophilus TA061 and Lactobacill us helveticus LH100 as starter cultures that did not produce exopolysa ccharides. Cheese was measured for moisture content and meltability at d 1. Cheese made with the exopolysaccharide-producing starter culture s had 2% higher moisture contents and exhibited slightly higher meltab ility. Because of changes in the procedure to manufacture low fat chee se that were necessary when the mechanized vats were used, the cheeses made in the double-O vats were slightly lower in moisture than cheese s previously made in the hand-stirred laboratory-scale vats.