LAUSR

The effects on the texture, rheology, and microstructure of costeño-type artisan cheese caused by the substitution and reduction of NaCl and the increase in cooking temperature during cheese production were studied using a multiscale approach that correlates responses at the macroscopic and microscopic levels. The decrease in the NaCl content, the partial substitution by KCl, and the increase in the cooking temperature before the serum drainage showed physicochemical, textural, and rheological differences between the cheeses. The microstructure was not affected by the reduction in salt or by modifications in the cheese making. The cheeses with an increase in the cooking temperature before the whey drainage stage and reduced NaCl by 5% and 7.5% (Q2 and Q3, respectively) showed similarity with the physicochemical composition and textural attributes of the control cheese (QC). Overall, this study contributes to the design of cheeses with specific functionalities through multiscale modeling.