Cheese derived from the milk of pasture fed cows contains a higher amount of CLA (c9, t11) than cheese derived from TMR diets. Although, using milk from pasture fed cows is a viable solution to increase CLA content in a cheese, formulating a hybrid cheese from the combination of cream from pasture fed cows and skim milk from TMR fed cows, provides an alternative for the manufacturing of a Cheddar cheese high in CLA. Three Cheddar cheeses were prepared for this study; one hybrid, one derived from a pasture diet, and one derived from a TMR diet. Using these cheeses, this study assessed the effect of hybridization across the following measures: chemical composition, consumer evaluation, texture profile analysis (TPA), and fat globule (FG) size assessment by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Hybridization was found to significantly influence protein, mineral, fatty acid composition, and sensory attributes. The protein, ash, and calcium composition of the hybrid cheese was higher and more similar to the TMR cheese. The fatty acid composition of the hybrid cheese matched that of the pasture cheese and was 2.03033-fold higher than the TMR cheese. The hybrid cheese received similar ratings for "liking" and "purchase intent" as the pasture cheeses which were higher than the same ratings of the TMR cheese. "Flavor intensity" of the hybrid cheese was found to be in between the pasture and TMR cheeses and may have been influenced by hybridization. The hybrid cheese had a "hardness" and "chewiness" that resembled more the TMR cheese. Finally, FG diameter of pasture, hybrid, and TMR cheeses was not found to be different, but this result was inconclusive due to large variations of FG size distribution, possibly influenced by testing conditions.
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