Technology of semi-hard cheese using protein fat simulator

Abstract

The annual increase in the production of protein-sensitive dairy products leads to an increase in the available amount of their by-product of production – whey. A promising direction in the implementation of its biotechnological potential is the production of a protein imitator of the fat properties – whey protein microparticulate. The aim of this work was to study the possibility of its use in the technology of semi-hard cheeses. The introduction of a fat simulator in a normalized mixture changes its composition, including the ratio of protein fractions, the ratio of fat to protein, and calcium content. With a mass fraction of microparticulate more than 10 %, a flabby clot forms, which is extremely difficult to undergo further processing to obtain elastic cheese grain. High hydration of whey proteins increases the moisture content in the cheese mass after pressing and in the ripening process. Hydrolysis of paracasein and its fractions proceeds more intensively in the cheese with fat simulator. The developed product is characterized by a higher value of the moisture content, which, together with the preservation of the protein clot particles of the simulator by the mesh structure, increases the yield of cheese.