Modification of the textural and rheological properties of cream cheese using thermosonicated milk

There is great interest in the dairy industry to find new ingredients or technologies that improve the textural and rheological properties of cream cheese. In this work, it was assessed the use of high-energy ultrasound as an alternative to modify the textural and rheological properties of cream cheese. Cream cheeses were made with milk sonicated at varying combinations of ultrasound power (0-100 W), temperatures (4-63 °C) and times (0-30 min). The main results showed that thermosonication (TS) of the milk reduced the size of milk-fat globules and increased the fat content and yield of cream cheese. Furthermore, the TS of the milk improved the thermostability of the cream cheese significantly. The best textural and rheological properties of cream cheeses were observed in those cheeses made with milk TS at 50 W for long times (⩽30 min) and applying temperatures between 35 and 50 °C.