Low-fat cheese: A modern demand

Abstract

Nowadays, there is growing awareness about reduced fat food as well as free fat products. Low fat milk products, particularly low fat cheese represents 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. Low fat cheese often suffers from undesirable flavor and texture. So, for these reasons, there are many strategies to overcome these defects with the using of additives such as stabilizers and fat replacers. Another solution is using exo-polysaccharide which produced from lactic acid bacteria (EPS-producing cultures) to improve functional low fat cheese product. Several studies highlighted the positive effect of EPS-producing cultures on the physical and functional properties of reduced fat Cheddar cheese. The objective of this review is to establish low fat cheese, their characteristics and technological it’s manufacturing.