Impact of Using Transglutaminase Enzyme in Manufacturing Low and High Fat Mozzarella Cheese

Abstract

A method for the use of transglutaminase enzyme (TG) in rennet coagulated cheese making was adopted. Rennet was added to milk at 5°C and kept for 30 min, the TG was added and the mixture was left for 2 h before raising the temperature to 40°C for coagulation. The method was used for processing low and high fat mozzarella cheese with 2 levels of TG (0.02 and 0.05%). The cheese was stored for 28 days at 5°C and the cheese chemical composition, functional properties and sensory attributes were determined. The addition of TG significantly increased cheese yield, moisture, fat and protein recovery and improved stretchability and meltability. In low fat cheese, the yield, stretchability and meltability increased by 8%, 40% and 50% in 0.02% TG cheese and 15.1% 60% and 66% in 0.05% TG cheese, respectively. In high fat cheese, the yield, stretchability and meltability increased by 7.5%, 25% and 23.6% in 0.02% TG cheese and by 13.3%, 37.5% and 32.7% in 0.05% TG cheese, respectively. Organoleptically, treated cheese was more acceptable than the control. According to the results, the use of 0.02% of the enzyme for full fat cheese and 0.05% for low fat cheese are recommended.