Effect of chelating salt type on casein hydration and fat emulsification during manufacture and post-manufacture functionality of imitation cheese

Imitation cheese (50% moisture) was manufactured in a Farinograph using different ratios of disodium orthophosphate (DSP) and trisodium citrate (TSC) as chelating or emulsifying salts (ES). The ES:casein ratio was kept constant at 0.2549 mol ES/kg casein. The effects of DSP:TSC ratio on cheese manufacture and post-manufacture functional properties were investigated. Hardness, assessed by texture profile analysis, heat-induced flowability and dynamic rheology were studied. Microstructural analyses were performed using light and cryo-scanning electron microscopy. Increasing the DSP:TSC ratio from 0:1 to 1:0 caused a decrease in processing times (from ∼18 to 12 min) and lowering of the final mixing torque values (from ∼180 to 20 F.U.) and, post-manufacture led to a decrease in cheese hardness (from ∼360 to 165 N) and G′ values at 25 °C (from ∼81 to 38 kPa) and to increased cheese fat globule size (from ∼8 to 32 μm). The results suggest that changing the ratio of DSP:TSC may be used to alter cheese properties, but both ES are needed for optimum functionality.