Effects of fructooligosaccharides on quality attributes of freeze-dried cheese: Insights into water status, microstructure, texture and rheology.

Authors

Yang Lyu, Shengnan Li, Lei Gao, Zijian Zhao, Hao Qian, You Kang, Fei Chen, Xindong Jia, Shengyu Li, Yujuan Zhao

Published in

Food chemistry: X. Volume 38. Pages 104327. Epub Aug 18, 2026.

Abstract

Freeze-dried cheese is high-value-added, yet its porous structure and hygroscopicity limit quality and storage stability. This study evaluated the effects of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) on freeze-dried cheese properties. FOS reduced water activity (from 0.13 to 0.08 at 10%FOS) and hygroscopicity, enhancing storage stability. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed enhanced hydrogen bonding after FOS addition, with free water converted to bound water. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and micro-computed tomography (μCT) confirmed this redistribution optimized pore morphology and reduced large pores (>150 μm), yielding a dense homogeneous network. These structural improvements increased hardness but reduced brittleness, with 10%FOS delivering the best texture balance. Rheological tests further showed that network strength rose with FOS dosage; tan δ stayed below 0.3 over 25-80 °C. Collectively, FOS supplementation improved the overall quality of freeze-dried cheese, with 10%FOS identified as the optimal level offering superior comprehensive performance and great application potential.

PMID:
42703485
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 07 Sep 2026.

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