Texture, rheological and sensory properties of analogue cheese made from water‐flushing fermented milk: Impacts of water concentrations

Background, Context or Rationale Water content is demonstrated to significantly influence the structural integrity and sensory profile of analogue cheese (AC). In the production of fermented milk, its processing pipelines are rinsed with sterilised water to remove the residual products or flushed with fermented milk to eliminate remaining sterilised water, yielding a mixture termed as water‐flushing fermented milk (WFFM). It has high nutritional value and abundant flavour compounds, making it a promising material for AC. However, the functional role of water content in AC made from WFFM curds remains unclear. Aim(s) Therefore, this work focuses on WFFM as the primary raw material, aiming to investigate the effects of varying water content (10%–25%) on the quality characteristics of AC prepared from WFFM curds. Methods The study systematically analysed the microstructure, texture, rheological properties and sensory attributes of AC produced from WFFM curds as the water content increased from 10% to 25%. Major Findings The research results showed that as the water content increased from 10% to 20%, the sensory characteristics, microstructure, elasticity and adhesiveness of WFFM AC gradually improved, whereas its hardness, chewiness and water‐holding capacity deteriorated with increasing water content. When the water content reached 20%, the AC exhibited optimal elasticity, adhesiveness and sensory evaluation characteristics, along with a close and stable three‐dimensional protein network structure. When the water content exceeded 20%, excessive separation of proteins and fats occurred within the matrix, leading to fragmentation of the protein network, thereby weakening the characteristics of the AC. Scientific or Industrial Implications Results indicate an appropriate water content could improve the quality characteristics of WFFM analogue cheese, not only providing a new way for the development of excellent cheese products but also realising the high value‐added utilisation of WFFM derived from dairy by‐products.