Vegetable Oils as Fat Enhancers in Processed Cheese: Effects on Texture, Protein Interactions, and Lipid Profile - A Review

¹ Faculty of Animal Sciences, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang 65145, Indonesia
² Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Udayana University, Badung 80361, Indonesia
³ Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan 201555, Indonesia
⁴ Faculty of Agricultural Technology, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Vegetable oil as a fat enhancer in processed cheese formulations is an important strategy for developing healthier, more sustainable, and economical food products. This review was conducted as a narrative literature review based on peer-reviewed publications published between 1984 and 2025, retrieved from major scientific databases. This study aims to review the effect of substituting various vegetable oils on processed cheese characteristics, including texture, protein interactions, and fat profiles, and to identify the potential applications of coconut, canola, corn, and sunflower oils in cheese-based food systems. The results show that the physicochemical characteristics of each oil, such as fatty acid composition, melting point, and polarity, significantly affect the functional performance of processed cheese. Coconut oil enhances thermal stability but tends to produce a denser texture, whereas canola and sunflower oils promote softer textures and more elastic protein structures. Corn oil improves the nutritional fat profile but is more susceptible to lipid oxidation. Protein interactions indicate that unsaturated oils support protein matrix homogeneity, while saturated oils increase aggregation potential. Meanwhile, the fat profile of processed cheese changes significantly depending on the type of oil used, influencing nutritional quality and product stability. This review provides an integrated food science perspective on vegetable oil-based processed cheese formulations and highlights future opportunities for optimizing oil blends and emulsion-based technologies.