Rheology of Reduced-Fat Mozzarella Cheese

Reduction of dietary fat by Americans has led to the introduction of various low-fat dairy products. Consumption of Mozzarella cheese in the U.S. has reached 3.5 kg per person per year (USDA, 1993), making this variety an appropriate target for fat reduction. Our laboratory has developed a “light” Mozzarella containing <10% fat (Tunick et al., 1991, 1993a, 1993b) which is currently being tested for use in the National School Lunch Program. The effects of cooking temperature, moisture level, and storage time were examined to determine which combination produces the best product. Meltability studies were of particular interest since three-fourths of the Mozzarella cheese produced in the U.S. is used in pizza (Kindstedt, 1993). Homogenization of cheesemilk was also investigated as a possible means of enhancing textural properties and because homogenization is required when recombined milks are used for cheesemaking. In this study, texture profile analysis, small amplitude dynamic oscillatory shear measurements, and meltability measurements were used to compare the rheological properties of low-fat and full-fat Mozzarella cheeses.