Abstract
Excessive intake of sodium has been associated with harmful effects on human health. Therefore, salt reduction in manufactured products is been targeted as a way to reduce dietary sodium intake. Sodium chloride (NaCl) plays an important role in cheese, and reducing the NaCl level in cheese may adversely affect its characteristics. Our objective was to evaluate the influence of different levels of salt reduction on the physicochemical, biochemical, rheological, and sensory characteristics of Mozzarella cheese. Samples were brine-salted for different periods to obtain cheeses with different levels of salt reduction (C: control cheese; S1: cheese with 60% salt reduction, S2: cheese with 35% salt reduction). Samples were analysed during 43 days of ripening. As expected, salt flavour intensity decreased with a decrease in NaCl levels. Small differences between control and experimental cheeses due to salting condition were observed in moisture content, water activity, maturation index, αs1-casein, αs1-I-casein, crossover temperature (when the elastic component equals the viscous component) and in some sensory attributes (aroma, colour, global flavour and creaminess). No significant differences due to salting condition were observed in pH, γ-casein, β-casein degradation, activation energy (parameter that quantifies the matrix degradation with heating), residual flavour, acidity and bitter taste. Taking into account the minor differences observed after the significant salt reduction analysed, it is considered that decreasing NaCl may not jeopardise the standard Mozzarella cheese quality.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ayyash MM, Shah NP (2011) The effect of substitution of NaCl with KCl on chemical composition and functional properties of low-moisture Mozzarella cheese. J Dairy Sci 94:3761–3768
CAA (2010) Código Alimentario Argentino. http://www.anmat.gov.ar/alimentos/codigoa/CAPITULO_VIII.pdf. Accessed 13 Sept 2013
Campbell N, Legowski B, Legetic B, Wilks R, de Almeida P, Vasconcellos AB (2009) PAHO/WHO regional expert group policy statement—preventing cardiovascular disease in the Americas by reducing dietary salt intake population-wide. CVD Prev Control 4:189–191
Guinee TP, Fox PF (2004) Salt in cheese: physical, chemical and biological aspects. In: Fox PF, McSweeney PLH, Cogan TM, Guinee TP (eds) Cheese: chemistry, physics and microbiology. General aspects, 3rd edn. Elsevier Academic, London
Gunasekaran S, Ak MM (2003) Cheese rheology and texture. CRC, Boca Raton
Guo MR, Gilmore JA, Kindsted PS (1997) Effect of sodium chloride on the serum phase of Mozzarella cheese. J Dairy Sci 80:3092–3098
He FJ, McGregor GA (2010) Reducing population salt intake worldwide: from evidence to implementation. Prog Cardiovasc Dis 52:363–382
Hickey DK, Guinee TP, Hou J, Wilkinson MG (2013) Effects of variation in cheese composition and maturation on water activity in Cheddar cheese during ripening. Int Dairy J 30:53–58
Hutton T (2002) Technological functions of salt in the manufacturing of food and drink products. Brit Food J 104:126–152
International Dairy Federation (1969) Determination of the fat content of cheese and of processed cheese products. IDF Standard 5A, Brussels
IRAM (2012) Análisis sensorial. Guía para la instalación de locales de ensayo. Instituto Argentino de Normalización y Certificación, Norma IRAM 20003, Buenos Aires
ISO (2008) Sensory analysis: vocabulary. International Organization for Standardization, ISO 5492, Geneva
Karel M, Lund DB (2003) Physical principles of food preservation, 2nd edn. CRC Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton
Marcos A, Alcalá M, León F, Fernández-Salguero J, Esteban MA (1981) Water activity and chemical composition of cheese. J Dairy Sci 64:622–626
McMahon DJ, Fife RL, Oberg CJ (1999) Water partitioning in Mozzarella cheese and its relationship to cheese meltability. J Dairy Sci 82:1361–1369
Olivares ML, Sihufe GA, Capra ML, Rubiolo AC, Zorrilla SE (2012) Effect of protective atmospheres on physicochemical, microbiological and rheological characteristics of sliced Mozzarella cheese. LWT-Food Sci Technol 47:465–470
Paulson BM, McMahon DJ, Oberg CJ (1998) Influence of sodium chloride on appearance, functionality, and protein arrangements in nonfat Mozzarella cheese. J Dairy Sci 81:2053–2064
Rao MA (1999) Rheology of fluids and semisolid foods. Principles and applications. Aspen Publishers, Inc, Gaithersburg
Ribero GG, Rubiolo AC, Zorrilla SE (2007) Influence of immersion freezing in NaCl solutions and of frozen storage on the viscoelastic behavior of Mozzarella cheese. J Food Sci 72:E301–E307
Ribero GG, Rubiolo AC, Zorrilla SE (2009) Microstructure of Mozzarella cheese as affected by the immersion freezing in NaCl solutions and by the frozen storage. J Food Eng 91:516–520
Rowney MK, Roupas P, Hickey MW, Everett DW (2004) Salt-induced structural changes in 1-day old Mozzarella cheese and the impact upon free oil formation. Int Dairy J 14:809–816
Rulikowska A, Kilcawley KN, Doolan IA, Alonso-Gomez M, Nongonierma AB, Hannon JA, Wilkinson MG (2013) The impact of reduced sodium chloride content on Cheddar cheese quality. Int Dairy J 28:45–55
Ruusunen M, Puolanne E (2005) Reducing sodium intake from meat products. Meat Sci 70:531–541
Saint-Eve A, Lauverjat C, Magnan C, Déléris I, Souchon I (2009) Reducing salt and fat content: impact of composition, texture and cognitive interactions on the perceptions of flavoured model cheeses. Food Chem 116:167–175
Schroeder CL, Bodyfelt FW, Wyatt CJ, McDaniel MR (1988) Reduction of sodium chloride in Cheddar cheese: effect on sensory, microbiological, and chemical properties. J Dairy Sci 71:2010–2020
Sihufe GA, Zorrilla SE, Rubiolo AC (2003) Casein degradation of Fynbo cheese salted with NaCl/KCl brine and ripened at various temperatures. J Food Sci 68:117–123
Sihufe GA, Zorrilla SE, Rubiolo AC (2010) The influence of ripening temperature and sampling site on the proteolysis in ReggianitoArgentino cheese. LWT-Food Sci Technol 43:247–253
Simal S, Sánchez ES, Bon J, Femenia A, Rosselló C (2001) Water and salt diffusion during cheese ripening: effect of the external and internal resistances to mass transfer. J Food Eng 48:269–275
Tunick MH (2000) Symposium: dairy products rheology—rheology of dairy foods that gel, stretch, and fracture. J Dairy Sci 83:1892–1898
Tunick MH (2010) Activation energy measurements in rheological analysis of cheese. Int Dairy J 20:680–685
Upadhyay VK, McSweeney PLH, Magboul AAA, Fox PF (2004) Proteolysis in cheese during ripening. In: Fox PF, McSweeney PLH, Cogan TM, Guinee TP (eds) Cheese: chemistry, physics and microbiology. General aspects, 3rd edn. Elsevier Academic, London
Wisniewska K, Reps A, Jarmul I, Babuchowski A (1990) An influence of salt content of cheeses on extent of their proteolysis. Proc. XXIII Int Dairy Congress Montreal, Vol. 1, p. 200
Zorrilla SE, Rubiolo AC (1994) Fynbo cheese NaCl and KCl changes during ripening. J Food Sci 59:972–975, 985
Acknowledgments
This study was conducted with the financial support of Universidad Nacional del Litoral (Santa Fe, Argentina), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (Argentina) and Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (Argentina). Ainelén S. Arboatti has benefited from a grant given by Fundación Nuevo Banco de Santa Fe (Santa Fe, Argentina). We thank SanCor Cooperativas Unidas Limitada for the supply of cheeses.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Arboatti, A.S., Olivares, M.L., Sabbag, N.G. et al. The influence of sodium chloride reduction on physicochemical, biochemical, rheological and sensory characteristics of Mozzarella cheese. Dairy Sci. & Technol. 94, 373–386 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13594-014-0169-2
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13594-014-0169-2