Improvement of the quality of low-fat cheese using a two-step strategy

A two-step strategy was applied to overcome the quality changes observed in low-fat cheese. Cheese texture was first improved using microparticulated whey proteins (MWPs) and buttermilk (BM) as ingredients added to the cheese milk. Second, the flavour of the cheese was improved by selected Lactobacillus ssp. isolated from good-quality cheese. A 10% fat Dutch cheese, Norvegia, with the optimal mixture of MWPs and BM had an improved texture compared with the regular cheese without any additional ingredients. The optimal recipe obtained for cheese texture was subsequently used, and Lactobacillus casei TINE36 or Lactobacillus plantarum TINE18 isolated from good quality cheese was added as adjunct for flavour production. It was found that the adjunct Lactobacillus ssp. also influenced the texture of the cheese, making it less firm.