INFLUENCE OF REPLACING MILK FAT WITH N-LITE D ON THE QUALITY OF LOW-FAT MOZZARELLA CHEESE

The possibility of making good-quality low-fat mozzarella cheese was evaluated. Five treatments of mozzarella cheese were made from mixed milk (40% cow’s and 60% buffalo’s milk). Control cheese treatment (c) was made from mixed standardized to 3% fat. The other four treatments were made from mixed milk standardized to 2.25, 1.50, 0.75, and 0.00% fat milk, adding N-Lite D at the ratio of 0.75,1.50,2.25, and 3.00% respectively (T1, T2, T3, and T4). The obtained results revealed that replacement of milk fat with N-lite -D caused a significant increase of titratable acidity, moisture and all texture parameters (hardness, Cohesiveness, Springiness, Gumminess, and chewiness), while declined fat, acidity, fat, protein and ash content, meltability, stretchability and oiling off increased as storage period proceeded, while moisture content decreased. The change of cheese quality during storage at 5±1°C was more evident than that during storage at -18 ±2°C. Total scores of cheese organoleptic properties of cheese treatments C, T1, T2, T3, and T4 were not significantly different from each other, which means it's possible to replace up to 75% of milk fat with N-Lite D without detrimental effect on the organoleptic properties of mozzarella cheese.