PRODUCTION OF LOW-FAT CHEDDAR CHEESE FROM LOW AND HIGH MINERAL RETENTATE POWDERS AND DIFFERENT FRACTIONS OF MILKFAT GLOBULES

Low-fat Cheddar cheeses were manufactured from skim milk enriched to 5 % total protein with a low (LMR) or a high (LMR) mineral content UF mi lk retentate powder. The protein to fat ratio was adjusted to 1.9 with cream(1) separated either centrifugally (CC) or by a new proprietary process and containing large milkfat globules [LFG (surface-weighted d iameter, D-vs = 2.3 mu m; standard deviation of D-vs, sigma = 0.25 mu m)] or small milkfat globules [SFG, (D-vs = 1.6 mu m, a = 0.25 mu m)]. Although the composition of creams used (CC. LFG and SFG) were differ ent, the protein retentions were similar for all the low-fat cheeses m ade three times on different days. The fat loss in whey was lower when using LFG cream to make cheese, but the low-fat cheese was also influ enced by type of retentate powder used besides the source of fat (CC, LFG or SFG). The low-fat cheeses made from LMR powder were higher in m oisture but lower in ash and fat than the low-fat cheeses made with HM R powder. During cheese ripening (six months), pH remained higher in H MR cheeses than in LMR cheeses (5.15 versus 5.00), whereas the soluble nitrogen was similar in all low-fat cheeses. All LMR low-fat cheeses were evaluated sensorially after four months of ripening by 160 consum ers. Acceptance of LFG cheese was significantly higher in texture, fla vor and color (whiteness) scores than the SFG and CC cheeses. Thus, th e use of LMR powder combined with LFG fraction improved the overall qu ality of low-fat Cheddar cheese in terms of its texture: flavor and co lor. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.