The Presence of Umami Taste in Dairy Products

Milk, whether breast milk or from other sources such as infant formula, is considered the first food presented to our taste buds after birth. This food has several nutrients and flavors that are essential for the first months of life, and of the five basic tastes, umami may have been the first we encountered, as glutamate, the main compound that provides it, is present in considerable quantities in breast milk and can also promote benefits for the gut health of babies.

See the article “THE IMPORTANCE OF UMAMI TASTE IN FIRST FOODS”

As the science of Nutrition and Food Technology improved, it became possible to discover various benefits of milk and produce dairy products, such as yogurts and cheeses, which, in addition to being rich in the mineral calcium, can serve as vehicles for pre* and probiotics**, as in the case of yogurts, and are also sources of essential amino acids**. Milks such as cow’s and goat’s milk have a certain concentration of the amino acid glutamate in free form, 1 and 4 mg/100g, respectively. This amount is small when compared to their derivatives, such as Parmesan, Emmental, Cheddar and Cabrales*** cheeses, which have a glutamate concentration of 1680, 308, 182 and 770 mg/100g (YAMAGUCHI, S. & NINOMIYA, 2000; UMAMI INFORMATION CENTER, 2021).

These cheeses possess intrinsic characteristics in their production that increase the concentration of umami in this way. In manufacturing, after pasteurization, an enzyme called rennin is added to separate the whey from the milk caseins. Thermophilic bacteria (which grow at temperatures up to 45°C) and mesophilic bacteria (which grow between 20-40°C) are also added to initiate the lactic fermentation process, which uses milk sugar (lactose) to produce lactic acid, characteristic aromatic components, and CO2. Salting with sodium chloride is then carried out, and the maturation process begins. In this process, the bacteria continue to release acids that promote the denaturation and breakdown of the peptide bonds of the milk caseins (proteolysis). This breakdown causes the release of amino acids and peptides, which are free at the end of maturation (UPADHYAY et al., 2004). One of the amino acids found in the highest concentration in the cheeses mentioned above is glutamic acid. For this reason, these cheeses are rich in umami.

Sodium Reduction in Cheeses
In the cheese manufacturing process, salt (sodium chloride) is the main element used both as a preservative for the maturation process and for its function of enhancing flavor. However, an agreement was established in 2011 between the Ministry of Health and the Brazilian Association of Food Industries (ABIA) to reduce sodium in food by 2020, due to the increase in chronic non-communicable diseases observed in the population.

To achieve this, food industries and research institutes are considering various strategies to maintain food quality and safety, preserving flavor without significantly increasing prices. One of the strategies employed was the use of other types of salts, such as potassium chloride and umami substances, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate (IMP and GMP, respectively).

Research conducted at the Federal University of Lavras (MG) has used these strategies for the development of dairy products such as mozzarella and cream cheese with reduced sodium content. These cheeses do not undergo long maturation processes like cheeses rich in umami, therefore they do not have high levels of free glutamate (naturally present) (RODRIGUES et al., 2014, DA SILVA et al., 2013).

In the research with mozzarella cheese, for example, the researchers used three types of treatment: A (0% sodium reduction) – 0.3 kg/L of NaCl; B (30% sodium reduction) – 0.2250 kg/L of NaCl; 0.0646 kg/L of KCl and 0.0402 kg/L of MSG; C (54% sodium reduction) 0.1500 kg/L of NaCl; 0.0430 kg/L of KCl and 0.1608 kg/L of MSG. From there, specific sensory tests were carried out to verify the duration of the intensity of the salty taste, the results of which suggested a reduction in the intensity of this taste when MSG was used. In addition, the use of MSG made the bitter and metallic aftertaste, which is usually felt in some preparations that use KCl, not perceived, providing a pleasant Umami taste and good acceptability of the samples with reduced sodium, when compared with traditional mozzarella (A).

More research on flavor enhancers and their benefits is still to come. For now, let’s appreciate the taste of cheeses, which can provide us with energy and also offer the richness of their different flavors, including the umami taste!

*Prebiotics: are complex carbohydrates, not digestible by the enzymes of the gastrointestinal tract, and which serve as a substrate for the growth of beneficial bacteria in the small intestine.
**Probiotics: are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer some health benefit.
***Essential amino acids: are the amino acids that the human body cannot produce and needs to acquire through food (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine).
****Cabrales cheese: is a very strong type of blue cheese, made with a mixture of cow’s, sheep’s and goat’s milk, matured for months.