Studies on the use of acidified and cultured whey as coagulant in the manufacture of paneer.

Acidified and cultured whey were used as coagulants in the manufacture of paneer at coagulation temperatures of 80 and 90°C. The yield and recovery of fat, total solids and the sensory and textural qualities were studied. It was observed that the yield of paneer decreased with increase in coagulation temperature from 80 to 90°C, and the use of acidified and cultured whey further increased the yield of paneer. The percentage recovery of fat and total solids was not greatly influenced by coagulation temperature. However, recovery of these was optimum in paneer made using cultured whey of Lactobacillus acidophilus and acidified whey at 1%. The Streptococcus lactis-cultured whey yielded lowest fat and total solids. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed in all the sensory attributes of paneer made at 80°C using cultured or acidified whey. At 90°C, the sensory score for body and texture differed significantly (P < 0.05). The use of cultured whey with S. lactis resulted in paneer with a soft and loose body and open texture, and was not found suitable for paneer-making.