Milk fat globule size affects Cheddar cheese properties

Cheddar cheese was prepared using milk separated into large (d4,3 = 5.07 ± 0.06 μm) and small (d4,3 = 2.76 ± 0.07 μm) milk fat globule (MFG) size distributions using microfiltration. MFG size did not influence the moisture-adjusted yield or the amount of protein and lactose. However differences in the texture, microstructure, lipolysis and other compositional factors were found between cheeses. Notably, the small MFG milk (SMM) cheese retained more salt and contained more moisture and polar lipids, observed through a novel confocal staining regime, compared with the large MFG milk (LMM) cheese. Fewer intact MFG and more pockets of coalesced milk fat were observed in the LMM cheese. However both SMM and LMM cheese were softer, and less resistant to melting than the Control. These findings show that MFG separation can influence cheese mechanical behaviour and allow for the development of differentiated cheese products.