Cheese Analogue-Making Process Using Microbial Transglutaminase: Effects on Texture and Syneresis

The aim of the present paper was to determine the effects of adding microbial transglutaminse (MTGase) during the process of manufacturing fresh cheese analogues from a mixture of milk protein concentrate and milk cream, on their textural properties and syneresis. For this purpose, different MTGase concentrations (0, 1, 3 and 5 U·g protein) were applied during the analogue-making process using two different coagulating agents, a chymosin produced by fermentation (CHY-MAX) and a fungal aspartic protease (Fromase). The results indicate that MTGase can be effectively used to enhance texture and water holding capacity of cheese analogues made with dairy ingredients, obtaining similar characteristics with either of the two tested coagulating agents. In any case, the best results were obtained with 3 U·g protein-MTGase concentration.