Use of palm oil in cheese production

Although technologists, nutritionists and medical specialists express controversial opinions on the use of palm oil in food production, its consumption is growing worldwide. Considering this contemporary trend, research into effects of palm oil on the consumer properties of food, specifically dairy products, acquires particular significance. In this study, we evaluated the quality of cheese products manufactured under a partial replacement of milk fat with palm oil in various ratios in order to determine an optimal composition. Specific features of a technological process for producing milk products with palm oil are described. The process of introducing the plant component into the formulation was modelled on the example of a technology for producing brined cheese (brynza). An analysis of the organoleptic characteristics of the obtained cheese showed that the samples containing palm oil had a flat taste and no pronounced smell. The evaluation of the fatty acid composition of the control and experimental cheese samples revealed that the introduction of palm oil at a ratio of 50/50 leads to an increase in the content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids by 7 and 72 %, respectively, at the same time as decreasing the content of saturated fatty acids in the fat phase of the product by 33 %.