Influence of the addition of <i>Geotrichum candidum</i> on the microbial, chemical, textural, and sensory features of soft soy cheese
Ying Li, Xin Zhang, Jiajie Yang, Xiangyang Ma, Xin‐Dong Jia, Peng Du, Aili Li
Abstract
The present study aimed to develop a soft soy cheese using Geotrichum candidum (G. candidum) on the basis of Chinese tofu. Soy cheese was prepared by adding 3% of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) starter, 0.3% of CaCl2, and G. candidum at 104 CFU/ml. And the microbial, chemical, textural, and sensory characteristics of the product were evaluated at different maturation temperatures. We observed that the numbers of G. candidum in soy cheese increased rapidly to 107–108 CFU/g after 21 days of maturation at 10°C or 15°C, and remained constant until 28 days. Moreover, G. candidum greatly promoted the degradation of soy protein and fat, which led to an increase in pH value, soluble nitrogen, and free fatty acid content of soy cheese during maturation, while the hardness and chewiness were significantly decreased. And the soy cheese with G. candidum after ripening at 10°C for 28 days, had more acceptable texture and sensory features than that at 15°C. Practical applications G. candidum is known to have intense proteolytic and lipolytic activity, which contributes to promoting cheese maturation. However, few studies have reported the application of G. candidum in soya-based cheese production. This study found that G. candidum could provide a uniform velvety-white coat on the surface of soy cheese, greatly decreased undesirable beany taste and made the product have a soft texture. Therefore, this study used soy milk instead of cow’s milk to develop a soya-based cheese prepared with G. candidum and yoghurt starter, to provide consumers with a new fermented soybean product with desirable flavor, texture, and nutrition.