Optimisation of the manufacturing of processed cheese without added fat and reduced sodium

Abstract

The main causes of cardiovascular diseases are obesity and hypertension, both of which are associated with high fat intake and high fat and sodium intake, respectively. Requeijão cremoso – a type of processed cheese that is an important part of the eating habits of average Brazilians – is a source of fat and salt (sodium chloride), as are most cheeses. In view of the high consumption of this cheese in Brazil, and the current demand for healthier foods, no-fat added reduced-sodium requeijão (NFARSR ) would be an alternative to meet the needs of the changing market. The objective of this study was to optimise the use of emulsifying salts (JohaS9+JohaB50) so as to reduce the level of sodium of an existing no-fat added requeijão formulation developed earlier at the Instituto de Tecnologia de Alimentos-ITAL. In this study, the fat in requeijão was replaced by whey protein concentrate (WPC34), and sodium reduction was achieved by partially (40%) substituting potassium chloride for sodium chloride and by replacing part of the traditional sodium phosphate-based emulsifying salt (JohaS9) by a sodium-and-potassium-based emulsifying salt (JohaB50) containing 85% less sodium compared to S9. To this purpose, a 22 factorial design with two factors (JohaS9 and JohaB50) and two levels (+1, -1) was used, resulting in 11 experimental trials. The results were evaluated by response surface methodology to assess physical-chemical, sensory and instrumental texture parameters. Analysis of the response surface graphs showed that R5 – made with 1.0% JohaS9 and 1.2% JohaB50 – was the NFARSR formulation that best met the pre-set specifications.