Frozen storage is detrimental to the functionality of cream cheese and mascarpone even in high-pressure-treated samples

Cream cheese and mascarpone are 2 popular types of fresh cheeses. In the United States, these cheeses have recently experienced growth in their exports due to their popularity in baking and dessert applications (e.g., cheesecake and tiramisu). Historically, these products were consumed quickly, but the introduction of processing methods like hot packing (where the hot product is filled directly into the final containers) has facilitated a much longer shelf life. Freezing is a widely used approach to extend the shelf life of cheeses such as low-moisture part-skim mozzarella, but to our knowledge it is not used for many fresh cheeses. The high moisture and low protein contents of these fresh cheeses could increase the risk that the freezing process could damage the protein matrix. We investigated the impact of various storage temperatures on the texture, rheological properties, as well as functionality in key food applications, of these 2 types of fresh cheeses. The freezing point of cream cheese and mascarpone has not been published but we considered that it should be