Effect of freezing on the viscoelastic behaviour during the ripening of a commercial low-fat soft cheese

The effect of the freezing process (freezing at −25 °C, frozen storage at −25 °C during 33 days, and thawing at 6 °C) on the viscoelastic behaviour of a commercial low-fat soft cheese containing microparticulated whey proteins as fat replacers at different ripening times (1, 21, 48, and 76 days) was studied. Frequency sweeps (0.01–10 Hz) at 20 °C in the linear viscoelastic region were performed. Frequency dependency of viscoelastic data was determined using power-law equations (G′ = aωx, G″ = bωy). Freezing process produced an increase in the maturation index, the viscous behaviour and a decrease in values of coefficient a. However, the decay rate of coefficient a during the studied ripening period was not influenced by this process. A negative correlation between a and maturation index was obtained. The results of this work indicated that the freezing process is a factor that contributes to the viscoelastic behaviour of the studied cheeses.