Effect of octenyl succinylated waxy starch as a fat mimetic on texture, microstructure and physicochemical properties of Minas fresh cheese

- The effect of OS waxy maize starch on reduced fat Minas fresh cheese was studied.
- Fat reduction decreased yield, increased hardness and promoted denser microstructure.
- The addition of starch increased moisture and WHC, but it did not improve yield.
- OS waxy starch is a promising ingredient for improving overall cheese quality.

The effect of fat reduction and the addition of octenyl succinylated (OS) waxy maize starch as a fat replacer on the physicochemical properties, texture, and microstructure of Minas fresh cheese was studied. The cheeses were produced according to three formulations: full-fat cheese (FC), reduced-fat cheese (RC), and reduced-fat cheese with 0.5 kg/100 L of added starch (SC). Analyses of the chemical composition, titratable acidity, water-holding capacity (WHC), yield, texture, microstructure, and electrophoretic profile of casein were conducted. Fat reduction increased the hardness and decreased the yield of the cheeses. Fat reduction also promoted a denser microstructure and less proteolysis. The concentration of starch that was added was insufficient to improve the yield and texture parameters of the reduced-fat cheese. However, the addition of starch increased the moisture content and the WHC of the reduced-fat cheese. In general, OS waxy maize starch improved the overall quality of the reduced-fat Minas fresh cheese.