The combined effects of different fat replacers and rennet casein on the properties of reduced-fat processed cheese

Reduced-fat food products can help to prevent obesity and other diet-related diseases. However, the removal of fat often impairs the sensory and textural properties of foods, leading to low consumer acceptance. In this study, we tested various concentrations of fat replacers (inulin, corn dextrin, polydextrose, and microparticulated whey protein) combined with rennet casein to investigate their effects on the melting behavior, dynamic rheological properties, and hardness of reduced-fat processed cheese. We found that increasing concentrations of inulin and corn dextrin reduced the flowability of cheese in the melting test and can thus be used to inhibit flow during heating. Microparticulated whey protein did not affect flowability but caused an increase in the storage and loss moduli as well as the temperature at gel-sol transition. A similar effect was also shown for rennet casein, whereas inulin and polydextrose had little or no effect on these rheological parameters. Corn dextrin had no effect on the storage and loss moduli, but affected the gel-sol transition temperature. No changes in hardness were detected for any concentration of the fat replacers, but increasing the rennet casein content also increased the hardness of the samples, regardless of the fat replacer used. Our results indicate the different concentrations and combinations of fat replacers and rennet casein that can be included in reduced-fat processed cheese to develop products with specific rheological properties, thus meeting future demand for reduced-fat products with attractive sensory attributes.