Texture of cheddar cheese as influenced by fat reduction

Cheddar cheeses with five different far levels (34, 32, 27, 21, and 13 %) were manufactured in a randomized block design experiment and replicated four times. Cheeses were ripened for 4 months at 7 degrees C. Microstructure was studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Texture characteristics (adhesiveness, cohesiveness, hardness, and springiness) were determined by Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) using the Instron Universal Testing Machine and a trained sensory panel. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the open-intricate microstructure of the cheeses was lost with a decrease in fat content. Hardness and springiness increased while adhesiveness and cohesiveness of the cheeses decreased with decreasing fat content. Texture attributes were influenced by the nature of the protein matrix that resulted due to fat removal.