Altering lipid profile and emulsifier type for improved plant-based cheese performance

Abstract: The lipids of real dairy cheeses are crucial to the texture and sensory profile throughout the eating experience. In plant-based cheese formulations, the importance of the lipid phase cannot be disputed, but has so far been under-utilized as a means of improving product performance. Replacing coconut oil with a fat system possessing melting and crystallization profiles closely resembling that of milk fat, as measured by differential scanning calorimetry, in plant-based cheese, produced marked differences in the stretch and melt properties. Additionally, sensory testing determined that, altering the lipid phase resulted in significant improvements in product flavor profile and lipid-related mouthfeel properties. Furthermore, the importance of the lipid phase in plant-based cheese formulations was further highlighted by the improvement in melt and stretch properties through incorporation of fermentation derived proteins at low inclusion levels (≤2 wt%). These improvements were the result of the increased emulsification properties stemming from the fermentation derived proteins in comparison to typical emulsifier ingredients used in formulations (i.e., modified starches, pea protein, etc.), improving the incorporation of the lipid phase within the plant-based cheese network. These results have demonstrated that altering the lipid phase and its incorporation within the product network can effectively increase plant-based cheese performance.