Production of reduced fat Chanco cheese using homogenization of the milk

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to study the possibility of using homogenized milk to produce low fat Chanco cheese of adequate sensorial quality. The possible effects of the use of homogenized milk in different percentages (12.5; 25 and 50%) mixed with non homogenized skim milk (16% fat matter in the mix) in the production of cheese, on process parameters (fat released in the whey, cutting time, curd syneresis) were evaluated. At 0 and 28 ^th days of ripening, yield production, and physico – chemical characteristics of the product (moisture, fat content and protein), were measured. At 28^th day of ripening, a sensorial evaluation of the produced cheese was carried out. Two treatments were used as controls; normal fat control and fat reduced control made with non homogenized milk.
It was concluded that the yield increases specially due to the moisture increase and the higher fat retention in all the treatments with homogenized milk, in comparison with the fat reduced non homogenized milk control. Such treatments showed intermediate values between the yield of the full fat control cheese and the reduced fat one. The syneresis and the lost of fat in the whey derived from the cheese made with homogenized milk were significantly reduced in comparison to both control treatments. However, some sensorial characteristics such as flavour and aroma, adhesivity and cohesivity, were evaluated by the panelists in the concept under the normal for the variety with significant differences (P<0.01) between the control and all the reduced fat treatments although, all of them were equal to each other thus, pointing out that the milk homogenization by itself and under the conditions used in this study does not allow to improve the quality of these parameters which are normally affected in cheeses produced with lower fat.