Structural and physico-chemical properties of a novel Caciotta cheese with a high calcium-to-phosphorous ratio

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) addition to milk represents a promising approach to reduce phosphorus bioavailability in cheese for consumers with impaired renal function, but no data is available on the structural, sensory characteristics of cheese. This study evaluated the effects of CaCO3 supplementation (2 g/L) on physico-chemical, structural, sensory properties of Caciotta cheese. CaCO3 significantly increased cheese porosity, likely due to CO2 release under mildly acidic conditions, while textural and rheological properties were unaffected. Low-field NMR relaxometry revealed reduced proton relaxation times in specific water populations, suggesting altered water–protein interactions for CaCO3-enriched cheese. Sensory analysis indicated slightly lower but positive consumer acceptability scores for CaCO3-enriched cheese, mainly related to appearance and flavor, whereas texture perception remained unchanged. Overall, CaCO3 supplementation enabled the production of nutritionally functional Caciotta cheese preserving satisfactory structural and sensory quality. These findings provide useful insights into the development of dairy products targeted at special nutritional needs.