Vegetable organogels incorporation in cream cheese products

• Vegetable oleogels were used for the first time in cheese products to produce low fat cream cheese.
• Different organogels impact the structural properties of the final products differently.
• Food grade organogels have potential use in dairy products to enhance their fatty acid profile.

Edible oleogels made from rice bran wax (RBW) or ethylcellulose (EC) organogelators in combination with vegetable oils and other non-fat ingredients were used to produce oleogel cream cheese products. Four oleogel cream cheese products, two containing RBW and two with EC, were prepared and compared to control samples including full-fat and fat-free commercial cream cheese samples. Upon compositional analysis, all the oleogel cream cheese (OCC) samples showed approximately a 25% reduction in total fat content in comparison to the full-fat commercial control. More specifically by the replacement of saturated fat with healthier unsaturated fat alternatives, an improved fatty acid profile of cream cheese products was documented. Similar compositional analysis was also performed on a cream cheese sample made with non-gelled vegetable oil. Using a single penetration test and a strain sweep test, oleogel cream cheese samples prepared with RBW displayed comparable hardness, spreadability, and stickiness values to the full-fat commercial control sample. EC OCC samples also showed comparable hardness, spreadability and stickiness values but exhibited reduced adhesiveness values compared to the full-fat control. The successful microstructural incorporation of oleogels into a cream cheese, along with similarities in fat globule size, between OCC samples and commercial controls was confirmed with Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy. The similarity in microstructure can be accounted for the similarities in textural properties between the OCC samples and the full-fat control. These results provide a thorough characterization of the use of RBW and EC in oleogels and their potential as a healthy alternative to saturated fat in cream cheese applications.

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