Effect of fat replacer (Salatrim®) on chemical composition, proteolysis, functionality, appearance, and yield of reduced fat Mozzarella cheese

A no brine, stirred-curd procedure was used to manufacture reduced fat (9% fat wet basis) Mozzarella cheese. Skim milk was standardized to 0.8% fat with unhomogenized milk fat (control), an equal blend of fat replacer Salatrim((R)) types 1 and 3 (Pfizer, Inc., Milwaukee, WI) (solid at room temperature), and 100% Salatrim((R)) type 3 (liquid at room temperature). A stable dispersion (20% fat, wt/wt) was made by homogenizing Salatrim((R)) in skim milk. Cheese making was repeated on each of 3 d using a randomized complete block design. All cheeses had similar pH, salt contents, and calcium contents; cheese made with Salatrim((R)) had higher moisture and fat, but lower protein contents. Nitrogen that was soluble at pH 4.6 was higher for Salatrim((R)) cheeses and increased for all cheeses during refrigerated storage. The meltability and apparent viscosity of all cheeses were similar, but the control had a significantly higher score for hardness and more free oil release, and cheese shreds scorched less during pizza baking. Hunter L, a, and b values of the unmelted cheese indicated that the Salatrim((R)) cheeses were whiter and less yellow than the control, and all cheese decreased in whiteness over time. Salatrim((R)) cheeses had significantly lower fat losses in the whey and stretching water and had higher actual and moisture-adjusted yields. Homogenization was probably responsible for the differences between the control and Salatrim((R)) cheeses in chemical composition, proteolysis, functionality, appearance, and yield. Despite the large differences in fat properties, Salatrim((R)) was probably responsible only for the lack of yellowness in cheese color.