Effect of on the Conversion of Linoleic Acid of Vegetable Oil to Conjugated Linoleic Acid, Lipolysis, and Sensory Properties of Cheddar Cheese.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is perceived to protect the body from metabolic diseases. This study was conducted to determine the effect () on CLA production and sensory characteristics of cheddar cheese. can convert linoleic acid (LA) to CLA. To increase CLA in cheddar cheese and monitor the conversion of LA to CLA by , the LA content of cheese milk (3.4% fat) was increased by partially replacing fat with safflower oil (85% LA of oil) at 0, 3, 6, and 9% concentrations (T, T, T, and T). Furthermore, 10 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL (8 log CFU mL) was added in all treatments along with traditional cheddar cheese culture ( ssp. and ssp. ). After 30 days of ripening, in T, T, T, and T was 6.75, 6.72, 6.65, and 6.55 log CFU g. After 60 days of ripening, in T, T, T, and T was 6.35, 6.27, 6.19, and 6.32 log CFU g. After 60 days of ripening, in T, T, T, and T was 6.41, 6.25, 6.69, and 6.65 log CFU g. GC-MS analysis showed that concentrations of CLA in the 90 days' control, T, T, T, and T were 1.18, 2.73, 4.44, 6.24, and 9.57 mg/100 g, respectively. HPLC analysis revealed that treatments containing and LA presented higher concentrations of organic acids than the control sample. The addition of safflower oil at all concentrations did not affect cheese composition, free fatty acids (FFA), and the peroxide value (POV) of cheddar cheese. Color flavor and texture scores of experimental cheeses were not different from the control cheese. It was concluded that and safflower oil can be used to increase CLA production in cheddar cheese.