Rheology, microstructure, and functionality of low-fat Iranian white cheese made with different concentrations of rennet

A batch of full-fat (23% target fat) and 3 batches of low-fat (6% target fat) Iranian white cheese with different rennet concentrations (1-, 2-, and 3-fold the normal usage) were produced to study the effect of fat content reduction and promoted proteolysis on the textural and functional properties of the product. Cheese samples were analyzed with respect to their rheological parameters (uniaxial compression and small amplitude oscillatory shear), meltability, microstructure, and sensory characteristics. Reduction of fat content from 23 to 6% had adverse effects on the texture, functionality, cheese-making yield, and sensory characteristics of Iranian white cheese. Fat reduction increased the instrumental hardness parameters (storage modulus, stress at fracture, and Young's modulus of elasticity), decreased the cheese meltability and yield, and made the microstructure more compact. Doubling the rennet concentration reduced values of instrumental hardness parameters, increased the meltability, and improved the sensory impression of texture. Although increasing the rennet concentration to 2-fold the normal usage resembled somewhat the low-fat cheese to its full-fat counterpart, it appeared to cause more reduction in yield. Increasing the rennet concentration 3-fold the normal usage produced a product slightly more elastic than the low-fat cheese with normal concentration of rennet. Increasing the rennet concentration to 2-fold the normal usage was useful for improving the textural, functional, and sensory properties of low-fat Iranian white cheese.