Alternative sugars
Much of the flavor in cheese comes from the aging process, in which cheese ripening bacteria consume some of the lactose sugar and other compounds in raw cheese. We don't really want to add lactose because some people are lactose intolerant. What other sugars could we use that are plant based, and will result in the same flavor/aroma/texture profile after aging?
The Wikipedia page on Disaccharides is a good starting point Criteria:
- Contains galactose and glucose
- Doesn’t get digested *too* fast (e.g. pure glucose)
- Can be broken down by cheese ripening bacteria of interest
- Does not not cause any gastrointestinal distress in humans
Can we find Biolog data on bacteria of interest?
What is the exact mechanism of gastrointestinal distress due to lactose intolerance?
- Allolactose - β(1→6) Gal-Glu, but produced from lactose
- Melibiose - α(1→6) Gal-Glu. Found in a variety of foods, some of which are coffee beans, apple, sesbania flower, mugwort, olive, and jerusalem artichoke - promising?
- FooDB entry: https://foodb.ca/compounds/FDB001204
- Broken down by alpha-galactosidase
- Melibiulose - α(1→6) Gal-Fru
- Lactulose - β(1→4) Gal-Fru. Made from lactose, used as laxative
Useful review on Galactose-based gel produced by S. thermophilus in yogurt making: Biochemistry, Genetics, and Applications of Exopolysaccharide Production in Streptococcus thermophilus: A Review https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(03)73619-4/fulltext