What is Enzyme Modified Cheese?

Enzyme modified cheese or EMC as they are known are a cost effective alternative to natural cheeses. They are produced using enzymes on the cheese curds or immature cheeses to produce a more intense flavor profile as compared to that of natural cheeses. Hence they may be used at a lower level to impart the same flavor. However, EMC although having a strong flavor profile, do not mimic the textural properties of natural cheeses. EMC have approximately a 15-30 fold more intense flavor and are available as pastes or spray-dried powders. EMC find use in processed foods to give a cheesy flavor or to improve the flavor of a comparatively bland cheese product.

The cheese flavor is a result of the proteolytic, glycolytic and lipolytic pathways. While manufacturing EMC these pathways are only followed, the only difference being the use of enzymes rather than the entire culture micro-organism. The culture technique developed when a certain gentleman mixed curd slurry with NaCl in the ratio 2:1 and blended it. He then incorporated enzymes into it and kept the mixtures at 30 C for 4-5 days with constant agitation. A liquid cheese product with characteristic Cheddar, Brick or Romano flavor could be produced from fresh curd in 4-5 days. Nowadays, either of the following two approaches to manufacturing EMC may be taken. Either the hydrolysis of fat and protein occur simultaneously in one step or each of the hydrolysis is carried out separately and then the end products blended together to give the final EMC product.

EMC flavors available include Cheddar, Mozzarella, Romano, Feta, Parmesan, Blue, Gouda, Swiss, Colby and Brick. These cheese flavors find application in cheese analogues, chips, pasta products, salads, ready to eat foods, frozen foods, canned foods and low fat cheese spreads or cheese substitutes.


Reference:

Kieren N. Kilcawley, Martin G. Wilkinson, Patrick F. Fox, Enzyme Modified Cheese, International Dairy Journal, 8, 1998, 1-10.