Optimization of cheddar cheese taste in model cheese systems

To construct a Cheddar taste in media similar to Cheddar cheese, we developed dairy, nondairy, and mozzarella model systems. We trained a descriptive analysis panel to evaluate real and model cheeses for a variety of taste attributes and for Cheddar-like taste. We added sodium chloride, lactic acid, citric acid, and monosodium glutamate to the model systems using mixture designs and used response surface methodology to determine optimum levels of these 3 components. Less sodium chloride and acids were needed to simulate the taste of mild Cheddar compared with aged Cheddar. None of the model cheeses closely mimicked the texture of real Cheddar. We approximated, but did not match, the taste of aged cheddar using our mozzarella base. Panelists generally rated the optimized tastes in the dairy model system as more Cheddar-like than the optimized tastes in the nondairy model.