Effect of potassium-based emulsifying salts on the sensory and physicochemical parameters of low-sodium spreadable processed cheese

Assessment of cheese frauds, and relevant detection methods: A systematic review

Dairy products are widely consumed in the world due to their nutritional and functional characteristics. This group of food products are consumed by all age groups due to their health-giving properties. One of these products is cheese which has a high price compared to other dairy products. Because of this, it can be prone to fraud all over the world. Fraud in food products threatens the world's food safety and can cause serious damage to human health. There are many concerns among food authorities in the world about the fraud of food products. FDA, WHO, and the European Commission provide different legislations and definitions for fraud. The purpose of this review is to identify the most susceptible cheese type for fraud and effective methods for evaluating fraud in all types of cheeses. For this, we examined the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases. Mozzarella cheese had the largest share among all cheeses in terms of adulteration due to its many uses. Also, the methods used to evaluate different types of cheese frauds were PCR, Spectrometry, stable isotope, image analysis, electrophoretic, ELISA, sensors, sensory analysis, near-infrared and NMR. The methods that were most used in detecting fraud were PCR and spectrometry methods. Also, the least used method was sensory evaluation.

A Review on the Effect of Calcium Sequestering Salts on Casein Micelles: From Model Milk Protein Systems to Processed Cheese

Phosphates and citrates are calcium sequestering salts (CSS) most commonly used in the manufacture of processed cheese, either singly or in mixtures. Caseins are the main structure forming elements in processed cheese. Calcium sequestering salts decrease the concentration of free calcium ions by sequestering calcium from the aqueous phase and dissociates the casein micelles into small clusters by altering the calcium equilibrium, thereby resulting in enhanced hydration and voluminosity of the micelles. Several researchers have studied milk protein systems such as rennet casein, milk protein concentrate, skim milk powder, and micellar casein concentrate to elucidate the influence of calcium sequestering salts on (para-)casein micelles. This review paper provides an overview of the effects of calcium sequestering salts on the properties of casein micelles and consequently the physico-chemical, textural, functional, and sensorial attributes of processed cheese. A lack of proper understanding of the mechanisms underlying the action of calcium sequestering salts on the processed cheese characteristics increases the risk of failed production, leading to the waste of resources and unacceptable sensorial, appearance, and textural attributes, which adversely affect the financial side of processors and customer expectations.

Influence of Emulsifying Salts on the Growth of Bacillus thuringiensis CFBP 3476 and Clostridium perfringens ATCC 13124 in Processed Cheese

Processed cheese is a dairy product with multiple end-use applications, where emulsifying salts play a fundamental role in physicochemical changes during production. Moreover, some of these salts may be a strategy to control spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, contributing to safety and shelf life extension. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro inhibitory activity of two emulsifying salts (ESSP = short polyP and BSLP = long polyP) against Bacillus thuringiensis CFBP 3476 and Clostridium perfringens ATCC 13124, and to compare the in situ effects of two emulsifying salts treatments (T1 = 1.5% ESSP and T2 = 1.0% ESSP + 0.5% BSLP) in processed cheeses obtained by two different methods (laboratory- and pilot-scales), during 45-day storage at 6 °C. C. perfringens ATCC 13124 growth was not affected in vitro or in situ (p > 0.05), but both of the treatments reduced B. thuringiensis CFBP 4376 counts in the tested condition. Counts of the treatments with B. thuringiensis CFBP 3476 presented a higher and faster reduction in cheeses produced by the laboratory-scale method (1.6 log cfu/g) when compared to the pilot-scale method (1.8 log cfu/g) (p < 0.05). For the first time, the inhibitory effect of emulsifying salts in processed cheeses obtained by two different methods was confirmed, and changes promoted by laboratory-scale equipment influenced important interactions between the processed cheese matrix and emulsifying salts, resulting in B. thuringiensis CFBP 4376 growth reduction.

Reduced-sodium cheeses: Implications of reducing sodium chloride on cheese quality and safety

Sodium chloride (NaCl) universally well-known as table salt is an ancient food additive, which is broadly used to increase the storage stability and the palatability of foods. Though, in recent decades, use of table salt in foods is a major concern among the health agencies of the world owing to ill effects of sodium (Na) that are mostly linked to hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. As a result, food scientists are working to decrease the sodium content in food either by decreasing the rate of NaCl addition or by partial or full replacement of NaCl with other suitable salts like potassium chloride (KCl), calcium chloride (CaCl₂ ), or magnesium chloride (MgCl₂ ). However, in cheese, salt reduction is difficult to accomplish owing to its multifaceted role in cheese making. Considering the significant contribution in dietary salt intake (DSI) from cheese, researchers across the globe are exploring various technical interventions to develop reduced-sodium cheeses (RSCs) without jeopardizing the quality and safety of cheeses. Thus, the purpose of this study is to provide an insight of NaCl reduction on sensory, physicochemical, and technofunctional attributes of RSCs with an aim to explore various strategies for salt reduction without affecting the cheese quality and safety. The relationship between salt reduction and survival of pathogenic and spoilage-causing microorganisms and growth of RSCs microflora is also discussed. Based on the understanding of conceptual and applied information on the complex changes that occur in the development of RSCs, the quality and safety of RSCs can be accomplished effectively in order to reduce the DSI from cheese.