| Summary: | β-Glucan, isolated from the mushroom <i>Pleurotus ostreatus</i>, at a concentration of 0.4%, was used in the manufacture of reduced-fat white-brined cheese from sheep milk. Control reduced-fat cheese was also produced from the same milk without the addition of β-glucan. The resultant cheeses were examined for their physicochemical characteristics, color and textural properties, and level of proteolysis and lipolysis. Furthermore, cheeses were evaluated organoleptically. In general, there were no statistical differences in the physicochemical characteristics and proteolysis levels found between both cheeses. The addition of β-glucan improved textural properties, and the cheeses received favorable grades for all the organoleptic characteristics. There were no flavor defects (such as a bitter taste) described by the panellists in this study. Generally, the addition of β-glucan did not significantly affect total free fatty acid content; however, at 180 days of ripening and storage, cheeses with the addition of β-glucan had a higher (<i>p</i> < 0.05) content than cheeses without β-glucan. The major fatty acids were acetic acid and capric acid.
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