Textural characteristics of lowfat, fullfat and smoked cheeses: sensory and instrumental approaches

Research on the comparison of textural properties of lowfat, fullfat and smoked cheeses is yet to be reported. The objective of this study was to find textural differences in these cheeses by sensory and instrumental methods and to try to correlate the sensory and the instrumental data. Nine commercial cheeses were evaluated for aroma, flavor, and texture by descriptive analysis and were also subjected to instrumental texture profile analysis. The sensory evaluation by a panel of nine judges separated the cheeses into 'smoked' and 'non-smoked' based on aroma and flavor. On the basis of texture the judges categorized the cheeses into either 'dry and crumbly' or 'sticky and creamy'. The texture profile analysis segregated the cheeses into 'smoked' and 'non-smoked'. 'Hardness' (instrumental) was positively correlated to sensory texture attributes such as 'dry', 'hardness' and 'crumbly', which might indicate hardness of cheeses during mastication. The judges that participated in the panel were found to be very consistent as a group in their evaluation. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.