The Effects of Adding Different Stabilizers in Brine on the Physicochemical, Sensory, Microbiological and Textural Properties of White Cheese

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of four different thickening agents (guar gum, carrageenan, xanthan gum, and gelatin) on the textural and sensory properties of white cheese. For this purpose, various white cheeses were manufactured with brines (the salt ratio was 8% and 12%) that contained different types and concentrations of gums; white cheese textural and sensory properties were studied during storage (at 4 °C). Also, microbiological properties including lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and mesophilic aerobic bacteria were investigated. The physicochemical, textural, microbiological, and sensory properties of the cheeses were determined on the 1st, 15th, and 30th days of storage. During the storage period of cheese, the top-rated samples in terms of sensory properties were cheeses with gelatin and carrageenan gum. The microbiological data displayed that there was an inverse relationship between the number of bacteria and the amount of gum used, although it was not precisely linear. At the same time, the highest values were generally determined in the control samples, and although not to a very great extent, gelatinous examples were found to contain a lower number of lactic acid bacteria than others. Regarding the textural properties, the hardness value of all samples containing gelatin showed a continuous increasing trend, while the springiness values increased only in the samples with xanthan gum and guar gum. At the end of storage, it was observed that the inherent adhesiveness of the samples decreased by more than half and the use of gelatin resulted in an increase in the gumminess of the cheeses. As a result, it was determined that reducing the salt used in the brine by up to 8% did not cause any defect since stabilizers were preventing water passage into the cheese by holding water.