Dietary sodium content is considered as a major contributor to hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Mozzarella cheese contains high amount of sodium, and addition of emulsifying salts (ESs) to the manufacture of processed cheese further adds to the overall sodium content. The present investigation envisaged the manufacture of low-sodium processed Mozzarella cheese by partial replacement of sodium chloride with potassium chloride (KCl) and also by using potassium-based emulsifying salts, i.e., potassium citrate and di-potassium phosphate, in place of sodium-containing salts. Desired level of potassium chloride and potassium-based emulsifying salt was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Sensory attributes, instrumental hardness, meltability, and stretchability were kept as responses of the design. The study returned 30.96% of KCl and 2% of emulsifying salt to be optimum, and at these levels, the product had maximum sensory scores. Hardness, meltability, and stretchability of the product were reported to be 14.355 N, 21.68 cm and 15.07 cm, respectively. Further, the study was validated by manufacturing the product using optimized levels of ESs and KCl and comparing the actual responses with the responses predicted by RSM. No significant difference (p>0.05) between actual and predicted values validated the results of RSM. Full-sodium and low-sodium cheeses had 905 mg/100 g and 260 mg/100 g sodium, respectively. Thus, the study resulted in 71.27% reduction in overall sodium content of processed Mozzarella cheese.

Dietary sodium has been considered to cause hypertension and other health ailments. Processed Mozzarella cheese (PMC) is a type of processed cheese that contains high sodium in the form of sodium chloride and sodium emulsifying salts. Henceforth, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of partial substitution of sodium chloride (NaCl) with potassium chloride (KCl) and total replacement of sodium-based emulsifying salts with potassium-based emulsifying salts in the production of experimental PMC. A blend of potassium citrate and dipotassium phosphate (1:1) was used as an emulsifying salt. Changes in sensory attributes, physico-chemical characteristics, and functional properties of PMC were analyzed and compared with the corresponding changes in a control PMC made with NaCl and trisodium citrate. Products were evaluated after regular intervals of 7 days up to 56 days. Significant differences in flavor (28-56 days), sensory body and texture, acid degree value (0-42 days), soluble protein, titratable acidity (7-56 days), pH (7-56 days), meltability (0-56 days), and stretchability (4-49) were evident between the control and experimental PMC over storage. It appears that potassium replacement of sodium resulted in a low decrease in casein hydration and an increase in pH and bitterness. This subsequently resulted in a lower rate of proteolysis, lower flavor scores, lower meltability, lower titratable acidity, lower acid degree values, and greater stretchablity and sensory body and texture scores.