Impact of Different Fat Sources on the Rheological, Functional, Microstructural, and Quality Attributes of Spreadable Cheese Analogues

ABSTRACT This study investigated how fat source influences the structural, rheological, functional, and sensory properties of spreadable cheese analogues. Six formulations were prepared using butter as the control, palm kernel oil (PKO), cocoa butter substitute (CBS), a 50:50 PKO–CBS blend, flaxseed oil (FO), or sunflower oil (SO). Fat source significantly affected texture, viscoelasticity, particle‐size distribution, meltability, oil separation, color, and sensory properties ( p ≤ 0.05). Structured fats produced stronger matrices: CBS showed the highest hardness (330 gf) and storage modulus (796.07 Pa), whereas FO and SO generated softer structures with markedly greater meltability (60.0% and 59.5%, respectively). However, FO showed pronounced oil separation, indicating reduced emulsion stability. Fatty‐acid composition and lipid physical state were closely associated with these differences. Multivariate analysis clearly discriminated the formulations, with PC1 and PC2 explaining 47.6% and 25.4% of the variance, respectively. The PKO–CBS blend occupied an intermediate multivariate position, providing a useful compromise between structural strength, meltability, oil retention, and sensory properties. These findings demonstrate that rational selection and blending of fat sources can be used to tailor the technological performance of spreadable cheese analogues.