A tribological analysis of cream cheeses manufactured with different fat content

Abstract

26Fat globules interspersed in the protein network have a major role in cream cheese texture 27 that greatly impacts on its consumer acceptability. This study investigated the effects of fat 28 content on the lubrication, rheological, and structural characteristics of cream cheeses 29 manufactured with 0.5, 5.5 or 11.6% (w/w) fat content. All three cheese samples showed 30 viscoelastic, non-Newtonian and shear thinning behaviour. The fat contents were shown to 31 affect tribological behaviour and their high-speed regimes correlated well with the bulk 32 rheology (viscosity). The low-fat content was associated with higher friction, firmer texture 33 and reduced spreadability of the cream cheese, due to fewer fat globules being interspersed in 34 the protein matrix, which was confirmed from confocal images.Cream cheese is an unripened cheese made from cream, or a mixture of cream and 40 milk, by acidification with a mesophilic culture and rennet as a coagulant. Cream cheese is 41 rich in fat and milk proteins, i.e., caseins and whey proteins (Phadungath, 2005). FDA42 regulations require that cream cheese should have a minimum of 33% fat and a maximum of 43 55% moisture content (FDA, 2015). Traditional cream cheese is characterised by a soft, 44 creamy and spreadable texture, smooth consistency, white to slightly yellow in colour, and a 45 mildly acidic taste with a diacetyl flavour. It is commonly consumed as a spread or a dip.46The texture of cream cheese is an important factor in its acceptability by consumers and it is 47 expected to be rich, smooth and free from lumps and grittiness; attributes to which the high-48 fat content contributes. 49 However, current trends are shifting towards low-fat products, because of the 50 association of high-fat with lifestyle-related disorders, particularly hypercholesterolaemia. 51This has prompted food companies to produce low-fat cream cheese, but low-fat foods 52 generally lack the mouthfeel and flavour associated with their traditional higher fat 53 counterparts, as fat content strongly influences the overall sensory characteristics of the final 54 product. Consequently, the food industry is facing a big challenge in satisfying consumer 55 demand for healthy foods with taste, texture and aroma similar to that of the high-fat product. 56Texture is based on a group of physical properties that originate from the structure of 57 food and the way its constituents interact (Pereira, Gomes, & Malcata, 2009). Cream cheese 58 structure has a continuous protein gel network (composed of protein, water, and dissolved 59 solids), disrupted with interspersed fat globules. Cream cheese texture is influenced by 60 processing conditions such as homogenisation, pH, temperature of heat treatment after 61 fermentation, basic composition (mainly the proportion of protein and fat content), moisture 62 M A N U S C R I P T A C C E P T E D ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT content, and the addition of salt or hydrocolloids. Brighenti, Govindasamy-Lucey, Lim, 63 Nelson, and Lucey (2008) studied the oral perc...

Sensory characterization of commercial cream cheese by the consumer using check‐all‐that‐apply questions

“…We assume that there is a possibility that the decrease in firmness and increase in spreadability can be explained by modifications in the fat crystalline structure, which melts as temperature increases (Dos Santos et al, 2020). A decrease in total fat content is associated with an increase in protein percentage and a decrease in moisture/protein ratio, causing a stronger casein-casein interaction and a more rigid and firmer texture (Ningtyas et al, 2017). Thus, the highest spreadability of sample 1 could be supported by its highest total fat content among samples.…”

“…The flavor is a combination of volatile compounds' perception by the aroma combined with the perception of nonvolatile compounds by the taste. Fat is a component that plays an important role in flavor because it is considered a vehicle for these compounds, and in texture because a decrease in fat content is associated with an increase of firmness in cream cheese (Ningtyas et al, 2017). The distinction of sample textures perceived by the panelists can be explained by the formulation of the products with low-fat or high-fat content.…”

“…Cream cheese is a dairy oil-in-water emulsion, and its process includes common and widely used operations in the food industry such as heat treatment, dairy culture acidification, and homogenization (Ningtyas, Bhandari, Bansal, & Prakash, 2017). It is made of milk and cream and intended to be consumed fresh.…”

Sequential aspects of cream cheese texture perception using temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) tool and its relation with flow and lubrication behaviour

“…The only TDS research found on cream cheese was reported by da Silva, de Souza, Pinheiro, Nunes, and Freire (2014) to determine the salting power of different salt substitutes. Many studies have investigated the texture of reduced-fat cream cheese using sensory, rheology and tribological analyses (Almena-Aliste & Kindstedt, 2005;Bemer, Limbaugh, Cramer, Harper, & Maleky, 2016;Brighenti, Govindasamy-Lucey, Lim, Nelson, & Lucey, 2008;Janhoj, Frost, Prinz, & Ipsen, 2009;Jeon, Lee, Ganesan, & Kwak, 2012;Miri & Habibi Najafi, 2011;Ningtyas, Bhandari, Bansal, & Prakash, 2017;Ningtyas et al, 2018) with an objective to explain the textural changes as influenced by fat content through instruments such as rheometer, tribometer and texture analyser. However, the rheological and textural studies seem insufficient to predict the sensory properties perceived during consumption.…”

“…The particle size distribution, texture profile, rheological and lubrication properties of the various cream cheese samples were measured using the method described by Ningtyas et al (2017). It is worth noting that the textural changes during oral processing is not only…”