Vitamin D3 fortification, quantification, and long-term stability in Cheddar and low-fat cheeses

Considering the widespread insufficiency of vitamin D, the fortification of additional foods with vitamin D is warranted. The objective of this research was to assess the feasibility of vitamin D-3 fortification in natural hard cheeses. We examined the recovery, distribution, long-term retention, and heat stability of the vitamin in industrially made fortified Cheddar and low-fat cheeses. The results indicated that the vitamin D-3 did not degrade during processing, over 1 year of ripening (3-8 degrees C), or after thermal treatment at 232 degrees C for 5 min. Vitamin D-3 recovery in the fortified Cheddar and low-fat cheeses were, respectively, 91 and 55% of the vitamin D-3 added to the milk used to make each cheese. The remaining vitamin D-3 was entrained in the whey. The vitamin D-3 was uniformly distributed throughout the blocks of cheese. The fortification process did not alter the yield, chemical composition, or flavor of the Cheddar cheese. We conclude that industrially manufactured Cheddar and low-fat cheeses are suitable for vitamin D-3 fortification.