MODELING THE RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF CHEDDAR CHEESE WITH DIFFERENT FAT CONTENTS AT VARIOUS TEMPERATURES

Abstract

ABSTRACT Cheddar cheese consists of a gel phase with imbedded fat particles and can be represented as a particle‐filled gel. The storage modulus (G′) of Cheddar cheese containing different fat contents was fitted to 12 theoretical models for particle‐filled gels. Models that included the G′ of fat particles and their interactions best described cheese G′. The estimated G′ of fat particle (G f ′) was larger than that of gel matrix (G m ′) at 10, 15 and 20C, corresponding to a reinforcing effect of fat on cheese G′. However, G f ′ decreased at a faster rate than G m ′ with increasing temperature, resulting in a weakening effect at 25C. Cheese rheological properties were dominated by the solid fat phase at 10 and 15C and showed no significant change with aging. In contrast, cheese G′ at 20 and 25C decreased after aging cheeses for 12 weeks, corresponding to decreases of G m ′ as a result of changes in the protein network. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Fat is critical to cheese texture. The rheological properties of cheeses depend on the two phases: fat particles and protein gel matrix. However, limited works have been done to quantitatively evaluate the contributions from the two phases. In this article, the rheological properties of Cheddar cheese containing a range of fat content were fitted to 12 mathematical models for particle‐filled gels. The advantages and limitations of these theoretical models were compared. This study extended the application of the mathematical models in Cheddar cheese, showing a quantitative evaluation on the role of fat in cheese rheology. This provides quantitative information for developing fat substitutes to function as fat particles in cheese texture.