Abstract: Processed cheese is very popular among consumers because of its rich taste, stable quality, and easy portability, but the high fat content in processed cheese cannot meet the demand of health-conscious consumers for low-fat foods. Therefore, the production of processed cheese with low-fat content has become a trend in the dairy industry. However, the reduction of fat affects the quality of cheese to a certain extent. How to improve the quality characteristics of low-fat processed cheese is an urgent problem in the dairy industry. Fat substitutes are intended to imitate the fat in cheese while compensating for the defects in the flavor, texture and other quality characteristics of cheese due to the reduction of fat. Therefore, in order to provide a reference for the development of low-fat processed cheese and to promote further development of the cheese industry, this article reviews the important roles of fat and different fat substitutes (fat-, protein-, and carbohydrate-based substitutes) in the flavor, texture and other quality characteristics of cheese and low-fat processed cheese, and summarizes approaches to enhancing the quality of low-fat processed cheese.

Key words: low-fat processed cheese; fat substitutes; flavor; texture; regulation