Impact of fermented whey protein concentrate on texture of Iranian white cheese

The influence of fermented whey protein concentrate (FWPC) added before and after formation of cheese curd on the textural characteristics of Iranian white cheese was studied. The FWPC, prepared from whey obtained during cheese making, was added at different levels 5, 10, 15, and 20% (v/v) after (A) or before (B) cheese curdling. It was found that both incorporation level and time of addition of FWPC (A and B) caused significant effects on texture profile analysis (TPA) of cheeses. In B cheeses, increasing the level of FWPC, except at B10%, lead to considerable decrease in hardness and chewiness while adhesiveness and cohesiveness was significantly increased. All experimental cheeses exhibited a decline in values for each rheological parameter during ripening. However, statistical analysis of data revealed that only hardness, fracturability, adhesiveness and cohesiveness were significantly affected by ripening.