Structure, physico-chemical and sensory properties of feta cheese made with tapioca starch and lecithin as fat mimetics

Functionality of modified tapioca starch and lecithin as fat mimetics in Feta cheese was studied. Cheeses were made with no fat mimetics, 1% modified tapioca starch, 0.2% lecithin, and a combination of 0.5% tapioca starch and 0.1% lecithin. Low-fat Feta cheeses (9–16% fat) were prepared from bovine 1.6–2.2% fat milk. Cheeses were ripened for 45 d before chemical, sensory, SEM, and textural evaluation. Levels of fat and fat mimetics significantly affected moisture, protein, yield, and hardness. Reduced-fat cheeses with modified tapioca starch had the highest moisture (67.6%) and lowest protein (13.5%) content and their hardness was higher. SEM micrographs revealed that the size of protein aggregates increased as the fat content of the cheese decreased. The combination of modified tapioca starch and lecithin improved flavor, texture and overall acceptability of reduced-fat and low-fat Feta cheeses.