Effect of Fat Replacer (Salatrim®) on Chemical Composition, Proteolysis, Functionality, Appearance, and Yield of Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese

A no brine, stirred-curd procedure was used to manufacture reduced fat (9% fat wet basis) Mozzarella cheese. Skim milk was standardized to 0.8% fat with unhomogenized milk fat (control), an equal blend of fat replacer Salatrim® types 1 and 3 (Pfizer, Inc., Milwaukee, WI) (solid at room temperature), and 100% Salatrim® type 3 (liquid at room temperature). A stable dispersion (20% fat, wt/wt) was made by homogenizing Salatrim® in skim milk. Cheese making was repeated on each of 3 d using a randomized complete block design. All cheeses had similar pH, salt contents, and calcium contents; cheese made with Salatrim® had higher moisture and fat, but lower protein contents. Nitrogen that was soluble at pH 4.6 was higher for Salatrim® cheeses and increased for all cheeses during refrigerated storage. The meltability and apparent viscosity of all cheeses were similar, but the control had a significantly higher score for hardness and more free oil release, and cheese shreds scorched less during pizza baking. Hunter L, a, and b values of the unmelted cheese indicated that the Salatrim® cheeses were whiter and less yellow than the control, and all cheese decreased in whiteness over time. Salatrim® cheeses had significantly lower fat losses in the whey and stretching water and had higher actual and moisture-adjusted yields. Homogenization was probably responsible for the differences between the control and Salatrim® cheeses in chemical composition, proteolysis, functionality, appearance, and yield. Despite the large differences in fat properties, Salatrim® was probably responsible only for the lack of yellowness in cheese color.