FAT REPLACERS IN LOW‐FAT MEXICAN MANCHEGO CHEESE

Low‐fat Manchego cheeses (15 g fat/L milk) were prepared with three commercial fat replacers consisting of low methoxyl pectin (LMP), whey protein concentrate (WPC) and microparticulated whey protein (MWP). A low‐fat cheese (15 g fat/L milk) without added fat replacer and a full‐fat cheese (30 g fat/L milk) were prepared as controls. Cheeses were matured thirty days prior to instrumental texture profile analysis, microstructure analysis, and discriminative sensory evaluation. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the low‐fat cheeses incorporating the LMP and WPC fat replacers lost the compact and dense protein matrix characteristic of the low‐fat control cheese and exhibited hardness, springiness, cohesiveness and chewiness similar to the full‐fat control cheese. No significant difference was found in the sensory characteristics between the full‐fat control cheese and the cheese incorporating WPC.