Cheese fat replacement: Categories, techniques, and recent research trends

Fat replacers result in alterations in the functional and sensorial properties of cheese, which have not been reviewed; thus, future trends and development directions are unclear. This work digs into the classic and new categories of fat replacers applied in cheese, including protein-, carbohydrate- and oil-based cheese fat replacers, as well as buttermilk, lecithin, etc. Whey proteins keep being popular because of its contribution to cheese texture. The carbohydrate-based types are predominantly gum, cellulose and dextrin with their excellent viscous behavior. Novel techniques to assist the fat replacement and the corresponding functional impact in cheese have also been summarized. Emerging techniques creating novel fat replacers include emulsification and oleogelation, and those utilizing enzymes and microorganisms. Oleogel emulsion and bigel systems benefit the design of innovative cheeses with known molecular and microstructural characteristics. Moreover, structure-design technologies like extrusion and 3D printing can diversely combine components, hence, establishing products with novel functions. The precise design is promising to create structured cheese fat replacers that confer the desired attributes to minimize the drawbacks brought by fat replacement. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd