Effect of transglutaminase and gelatin on the viscosity of fermented dairy beverages made with “Coalho” type cheese whey

Abstract

Transglutaminase is an enzyme used in the food industry with the objective to produce molecules with high molecular weight by linking proteins, adding characteristics to the final product, such as increased viscosity. This study aimed to compare the viscosity of fermented dairy beverages without additives with the viscosity of dairy beverages added with transglutaminase, stabilizer (gelatin), and both ingredients. Fermented dairy beverages were made with 50% of “Coalho” type cheese whey in 4 treatments, these drinks were stored for 28 days at 7 ºC and its viscosity was analyzed in duplicate weekly during this period. The experiment was performed in three replicates and the data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Tukey tests. It was observed that transglutaminase with glutathione had a similar effect to gelatin in the viscosity of dairy beverages produced under the conditions applied, exceeding the control treatment (without addition of enzyme and stabilizer), which makes this an interesting alternative technology for this type of product, with respect to viscosity increment. There was no significant effect of time on the viscosity of the samples.