Effect of xanthan and milk protein concentrate on hardness, microstructure and ester release of low-fat brined cheese

The effect of the different proteins and polysaccharides on the characteristics of low-fat cheese has been a topic of recent study. The release of aromatic compounds from the cheese is affected by the addition of texture improvers. The present study investigated the addition of polysaccharides and proteins on the hardness, microstructure and ester release of low-fat brined cheese. The addition of 0.01% xanthan or milk protein concentrate to low-fat milk was studied by compression testing with a texture analyzer and scanning electron microscopy. To determine the release of aromatic compounds, 0.1% ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, and ethyl hexanoate were added to cool pasteurized milk and the amount of aroma released was evaluated using SPME-GC-MS. The hardness and density of the casein aggregates of low-fat cheese decreased in the presence of xanthan and increased in the presence of milk protein concentrate. The release of esters from low-fat brined cheese was affected by the addition of xanthan and milk protein concentrate; this could be related to the affinity of polysaccharides and proteins to bind to aromatic compounds and to changes in the hardness of the cheese. The release of aromatic compounds was affected by the texture improver added to low-fat brined cheese. This effect should be considered when selecting a texture improver as a replacement for fat.