Use of high-pressure-treated milk for the production of reduced-fat cheese

Pasteurized (65 degreesC, 30 min), pressurized (400 MPa, 22 degreesC, 15 mi n) and pasteurized-pressurized milks were used for reduced-fat (approximate ly 32% of total solids) cheese production. Pressurization of milk increased the yield of reduced-fat cheese through an enhanced beta -lactoglobulin an d moisture retention. In addition, pressurisation of pasteurized skim milk improved its coagulation properties. The cheeses made from pasteurized-pres surized and pressurized milks showed a faster rate of protein breakdown tha n the cheese made from pasteurized milk, that might be mainly attributed to a higher level of residual rennet. Hardness of the experimental cheeses, a s determined by both the sensory panel and instrumental analyses, decreased as the moisture content and proteolytic degradation of the cheese increase d (pasteurized > pressurized > pasteurized-pressurized). In general terms, pressurization of reduced-fat milk prior to cheese-making improved cheese t exture and thus accounted for a higher overall acceptability, except for th e cheeses made from pasteurized-pressurized milk at 60 d of ripening, whose acceptability score was adversely affected by bitterness. (C) 2000 Elsevie r Science Ltd. All rights reserved.