Abstract:Phospholipase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes phospholipids releasing a variety of products, like for example lyso-phospholipids, free fatty acids, di-acylglycerols, choline phosphate and phosphatidates, depending on the site of hydrolysis. In cheese production, lysophospholipids act as surface-active agents in the cheese curd, helping emulsification of water and fat during processing and reducing syneresis. Phospholipases are more specific and have little or no activity toward di-or triglycerides. As a result of phospholipid hydrolysis, flavor defects do not occur due to the main formation of palmitic, oleic, and stearic acids, which are non-volatile short chains fatty acids. According to the scientific studies the use of phospholipase is able to increase the yield of cheese and reduce the environmental impacts of cheese production. Protein and fat largely determine cheese yield. Depending on the milk composition, 75% to 78% of milk protein and 85% to 95% of milk fat are entrapped in the cheese curd. The remaining protein and fat are lost in the whey and, to a lesser extent, in the brine. Crucially in the production of pasta filata cheese fat losses occur in the hot stretching step, where the fresh curd is molded and stretched in hot water. The lysophospholipid-casein complexes should be studied to understand the mechanism leading to cheese yield improvements.