Comprehensive characterization of ultrafiltered fresh cheeses enriched with milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) and ω-3 fatty acids

Ultrafiltered fresh cheese (UFC) is a widely consumed product that is usually sold in individual portioned cups, making it ideal to serve as a vehicle for daily doses of bioactive ingredients. This study aimed to evaluate the production as well as the rheological, textural, and sensory characterization of UFC using milk enriched in ω-3 fatty acids (FA) and milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), as dairy sources of functional ingredients. Four cheese batches were compared: control, ω-3 FA enriched cheeses (W), MFGM enriched cheeses (M) and cheeses enriched in both ingredients (WM). Cheese characterization involved general composition, color, small amplitude oscillatory shear and creep-recovery analysis, texture profile and sensory evaluation. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed in either microstructure or texture between experimental cheeses. The use of ω-3 FA enriched milk improved coagulation kinetics, increased dynamic rheological properties and reduced the ω-6/ω-3 ratio, which would be positive from a nutritional standpoint. In addition, panelists showed a significantly higher preference for W cheeses (P < 0.05). MFGM improved coagulation, dynamic rheological properties, and increased the polar lipid content without negatively affecting sensory attributes. Overall, UFC can be successfully manufactured with ω-3 enriched milk and serves as an ideal carrier for MFGM, resulting in a bioactive lipid-rich dairy product that could be well accepted by consumers.

This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Projects PDI2020-114821RB-I00 MCIN/AEI//FEDER and PDC2021-121528-I00) and the Spanish National Research Council (Projects 20217AT002 and 202270I067).

Peer reviewed