IMPROVEMENT OF SENSORY QUALITY OF REDUCED FAT CHEDDAR CHEESE BY A LACTOBACILLUS ADJUNCT

A Lactobacillus helveticus adjunct was added to 33% reduced fat Chedda r cheeses at concentrations of 10(2) or 10(3) CFU. Full fat and reduce d fat control Cheddar cheeses were also made according to traditional methods. Reduced fat cheeses containing the Lactobacillus helvericus a djunct were significantly less bitter and contained greater oaky/nutty flavor intensity after three and six months aging than control reduce d fat cheeses (P less than or equal to 0.05). Trained dairy judge flav or scores for the reduced fat cheeses with the adjunct were not signif icantly different from flavor scores for the full fat Cheddar cheese ( P>0.05). Acceptance scores after six months aging for reduced fat chee ses containing the adjunct culture were significantly higher than acce ptance scores for the full fat Cheddar cheese (P less than or equal to 0.05). Reduced fat cheeses containing Lactobacillus helveticus as an adjunct culture exhibited significantly greater rates of proteolysis t han control cheeses (P less than or equal to 0.05). (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of the Canadian Institute of Food S cience and Technology.