Effect of adding salty-taste enhancers on physicochemical and microstructural characteristics of reduced-NaCl UF cheese using mixture design methodology

The aim of this study was to evaluate the interaction of sodium chloride, l-arginine, oregano extract and yeast extract on the physicochemical properties of reduced-NaCl UF cheese. l-arginine addition significantly enhanced the moisture content, pH values, adhesiveness and salty taste of samples. The increase in the oregano extract enhanced the moisture content, redness value and hardness of UF cheese, while reducing the lightness value and overall acceptance. In addition, yeast extract had a notable influence on pH, yellowness and textural properties. The amount of each component for producing the optimum formulation was determined based on physicochemical and sensory properties of cheese samples.