Effect of microbial lipase and transglutaminase on the textural, physicochemical, and microbial parameters of fresh quark cheese

In this study, the addition of microbial transglutaminase (MTG) and lipase in quark cheese samples was studied during storage (21 d). Four types of cheese were made using 3 different levels of MTG (T1, 0.1 g/L; T2, 0.2 g/L; T3, 0.3 g/L) and lipase (T1, 0.02 g/L; T2, 0.04 g/L; T3, 0.06 g/L), and one cheese was made without any treatment as a control sample. The physicochemical, textural, microbial, and sensory properties of cheese samples were monitored at 1, 7, 14, and 21 d of storage period. The results showed that the treated samples had higher proteolysis and lipolysis activities during storage than the control sample. The textural analysis indicated an insignificant increase in the hardness value of the enzyme-treated sample. Also, the sensory analysis exhibited that the treated samples had higher texture acceptability. The higher concentration of enzymes resulted in lower color, odor, taste, and overall acceptability, and higher microbial population. Finally, the addition of microbial MTG and lipase in preparation of quark cheese samples could be recommended for a short storage time.