Use of β-glucan in development of low-fat Mozzarella cheese

The effect of using barley beta-glucan concentrate (BBGC) as a fat replacer on the composition, textural and functional characteristics of low fat Mozzarella cheeses was studied. Low-fat mozzarella cheese samples were made from reconstituted skim milk and containing 0.1 or 0.2 % BBGC (60% beta-glucan). The fat contents of 0.1 % and 0.2% BBGC were 4.5 and 4.3%, respectively. Low fat cheese control (5% fat) made without BBGC showed the lowest moisture (46.4%), yield (10.1 %), highest hardness (13 kg), poor melt (1.8 mm) and stretch properties (59.7mm). Addition of BBGC increased the moisture in cheese and made samples softer than the control. Cheeses made with 0.2% BBGC exhibited the greatest stretch and melt properties. Based on the lightness (L) values measured before pizza baking, when warm, and after 30 min cooling, cheese containing 0.1 % BBGC and control were superior to cheese containing 0.2%BBGC.