The characterization of the most-liked reduced-fat Havarti-type cheeses.

In Finland, official recommendations state that reduced-fat cheese should be used in the everyday diet. Finnish consumers are increasingly willing to consume food with a reduced fat content, and sales of reduced-fat cheeses have been increasing. The consumers who participated in this study (n=153; 17 to 78 yr old) ate reduced-fat cheeses on a weekly basis. They were recruited from supermarket customers living in a metropolitan area in Finland. The object of this study was to determine which kind of reduced-fat Havarti-type cheeses were most liked. The study consisted of a consumer test, sensory descriptive analysis, and chemical analysis of commercial reduced-fat Havarti-type cheeses (n=10). The results of the sensory quantitative descriptive analysis were compared with consumer hedonic ratings by external preference mapping. In addition, information on composition (fat, salt, and free amino acids) was gathered and compared with the hedonic ratings. The preferred sensory properties were a pale appearance, sticky texture, and rich flavor. However, the consumers could be grouped according to their preferences on appearance and consistency. The main attributes contributing to the grouping of consumers were stickiness, hardness, and yellow color. The least preferred cheeses among all Finnish consumers were those with the lowest flavor intensities. The consumers preferred the cheeses with the highest salt content.

Flavour profiles of dry sausages fermented by selected novel meat starter cultures.

Probiotic or bioprotective Lactobacillus rhamnosus strains GG, LC-705 and E-97800 as well as Pediococcus pentosaceus E-90390 and Lactobacillus plantarum E-98098 were studied for their ability to act as main fermenting organisms in the manufacturing process of dry sausages. In the preliminary tests, their abilities to produce lactic acid and biogenic amines, histamine or tyramine, were studied in MRS broth and analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The strains produced higher or equal amounts of lactic acid compared to control and were amine negative. During the actual fermentation process of dry sausages the numbers of inoculated bacteria increased from the level 6.5-7.0 log cfu/g to 8.0-9.0 log cfu/g. The most fast growing strains were P. pentosaceus E-90390 and the control while the growth of L. plantarum E-98098 and L. rhamnosus LC-705 were the slowest. The pH value of the sausages decreased from 5.6 to 4.9-5.0. The presence of these experimental strains as major organisms in the sausages after fermentation and ripening was confirmed on the bases of their genetic fingerprints. The flavour profiles of the experimental sausages produced by these probiotic or protective strains were similar with that produced by the commercial meat starter culture and commercial North European dry sausage recipe.