Microstructure and texture of Manchego cheese-like products made with canola oil, lipophilic and hydrophilic emulsifiers

The effect of lipophilic and hydrophilic low-molecular weight emulsifiers on microstructure and textural characteristics of Manchego cheese-like products (MCLP) made from canola oil-skim milk emulsions were studied. Nine emulsifier blends comprised of different proportions of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate (P), sorbitan monostearate (S) and glycerol monostearate (G) were used to prepare the emulsions. A control cheese (MCFF) was made from whole milk. The cheeses were matured thirty days prior to Instrumental Texture Profile Analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis. High proportions of P in the emulsifier blend resulted in MCLP cheeses having smaller and individual oil droplets surrounded by a dense protein structure, which exhibited elevated values of hardness, springiness and chewiness, but low values of adhesiveness and cohesiveness. High proportions of G and S in the emulsifier blend yielded MCLP cheeses with larger and more agglomerated oil droplets immersed in a relaxed and porous protein matrix associated with less hard, springy and chewy, but higher cohesive and adhesive texture. The microstructural arrangement of the MCLP-4 cheese (0.5P-0.2S-0.3G) showed texture closer to the MCFF cheese. Polynomial models were obtained that estimate the textural characteristics of the MCLP cheeses as a function of emulsifiers' concentration.