CHEESE WITH REDUCED SALT CONTENT

Abstract

Nowadays, there is growing awareness about reduced fat food as well as free fat products. Low fat milk products, particularly low and salt cheese represent a good choice for the development of new products with functional properties. Consumers are always looking forward to desirable and healthy products. Therefore, consumer's demand for low-fat/calorie products has significantly raised in an attempt to limit health problems, to lose or stabilize their weight and to work within the frame of a healthier diet. Removing all or only part of the fat and salt from cheese can negatively affect its taste, texture, and functionality. Many of the low-fat and salt cheeses have an uncharacteristic taste, greater transparency, less melting, rubbery and resinous texture. To overcome these shortcomings, during the production of low-fat and salt cheese, safe and convenient ingredients have been introduced in the dairy industry that improve its texture and taste, increase its shelf life, improve its appearance, while the product is not inferior to the characteristics of the standard type of cheese. However, despite the efforts made to improve the sensory and functional properties of low-fat and salt cheese, it is a
general finding that users are still skeptical about its selection and consumption. To that purpose, reducing fat and sodium in cheese and maintaining its safety and quality continues to be a challenge for the dairy industry in highly developed countries.