Manufacture of Low-fat Kefalograviera Cheese

Low-fat Kefalograviera cheeses of high moisture content were manufactured from ewes' milk containing 4.5, 3.0 or 1.5%. fat by modifying the cooking, stirring and pressing stages of the conventional procedure. A control cheese from full-fat (6.0%) milk was also manufactured using the conventional procedure. The low-fat cheeses had lower FDM and yield values, and higher moisture and protein values, than the control cheese. The values for MNFS, salt, S/M and pH for all cheeses were similar. No significant differences in proteolysis and lipolysis were observed between control and low-fat cheeses. Good low-fat Kefalograviera cheese of acceptable overall quality can be produced from milk containing 1.5% fat, while cheese of excellent quality, indistinguishable in flavour and body and texture from the control cheese, can be produced from milk containing 3.0% fat.