Tapioca maltodextrin in the production of soft unripened cheese.

BACKGROUND An excessive consumption of fat has been associated with an increased risk of health problems such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Cheese is a highly concentrated product which is rich in protein and minerals such as calcium and phosphorus and essential amino acids, therefore it is an important food in the diet. But low fat cheeses are usually characterized as having poor body and flavour. Therefore,  it is crucial to find ways of improving the acceptability of the product. The aim of this research was to investigate the possibility of using of tapioca maltodextrin in the production of soft cheese made from ultrafiltrated skimmed milk and to create organoleptic properties of a fat product in a non-fat product. METHODS To estimate the possibility of using tapioca maltodextrin in the production of soft cheese, the influence of tapioca maltodextrin on rennet flocculation time (RFT) and rennet clotting time (RCT), pH values, moisture content were estimated. Improving the quality of cheese, rheological and sensory characteristics in the course of soft unripened cheese manufacturing has to be focused on. RESULTS Using tapioca maltodextrin led to decrease in RFT and RCT. The concentration increase of the maltodextrin in milk for cheese production led to increase in moisture-binding capacity and moisture content of the cheeses, but led to decrease in RFT, RCT and pH-value. Based on the experiments data the optimal doses of tapioca maltodextrin were recommended. CONCLUSIONS An addition of tapioca maltodextrin resulted in a tendency of decreasing RFT and RCT,   pH-value for cheese made with different concentrations of tapioca maltodextrin when compared to cheese made without maltodextrin addition. At the same time an increased amount of tapioca maltodextrin led to moisture content increase of cheese samples. Inclusion of tapioca maltodextrin in natural, low fat cheese may improve texture and acceptability as compared to low fat control cheeses without maltodextrin. The recommended level of tapioca maltodextrin is 1.1% of the mixture weight.