Use of sweet sheep buttermilk in the manufacture of reduced-fat sheep milk cheese

Semi-hard cheeses were manufactured from sheep milk with protein to fat ratios of 1:1 (A) and 2:1 without (B) or with supplementation (C) with lyophilised sweet sheep buttermilk (SSB) and ripened at 4 or 11 degrees C. Comparing with B counterpart, the addition of SSB resulted in increased moisture and moisture in non-fat substances content of cheese C and retardation of secondary proteolysis. Phospholipid content of cheese C was 574, 68 or 151 mg 100 g(-1) fat, cheese or dry matter, respectively, being higher (P < 0.05) than those of A and B. SSB supplementation increased hardness and gumminess and decreased adhesiveness and meltability of the cheese. Colour values of cheese C were similar to those of A whereas its flavour score was higher than those of A and B. Overall, the SSB and the decrease of ripening temperature positively affected the characteristics of reduced-fat semi-hard sheep milk cheese. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.