Functional Reduced-Fat Mozzarella Cheese from “Essential Oil-Fed” Milk and Inulin Fortification

The demand for functional dairy products is increasing, in response to the adverse correlation between high saturated fat consumption and cardiovascular health problems. The present study investigated the physicochemical and sensory features of a prototype of functional reduced-fat Mozzarella cheese fortified with inulin made from milk obtained by integrating the cattle diet with laurel essential oil (LEO). Two samples were compared over a 10-day storage period: a whole-milk Mozzarella cheese (MC), and a reduced-fat Mozzarella cheese fortified with 10% (w/v) of inulin (MI). The results show that incorporating inulin during the stretching phase required more time (2.55 min longer) to obtain the final product. However, in addition to a 5% fat decrease, the MI cheese achieved an inulin content of 3.31%, satisfying the European Regulation No 1924/2006, for the “Source of Fiber” claim. On the other hand, from a nutritional perspective, the dietary LEO integration significantly modulated the lipid fraction of the sample, resulting in a 40% increase in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and a marked enrichment in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Considering the texture attributes, the incorporation of inulin during the stretching phase led to the formation of a micro-gel that acted as a functional filler, resulting in significantly higher hardness (33.41 N for MI and 16.10 N for MC), throughout the 10-day storage period. Temporal Check-All-That-Apply (TCATA) analysis confirmed that while the MI sample introduced vegetable and cooked milk notes, MI maintained major textural integrity throughout the shelf-life. These findings demonstrate that the synergy between inulin fortification and dietary laurel essential oil supplementation represents a highly effective strategy for producing reduced-fat pasta filata cheeses. This dual approach not only preserves sensory and textural integrity but also yields a high-value functional product characterized by an optimized fatty acid profile and a significant fiber intake.