Course:FNH200/Assignments/2022/Cream Cheese - Original vs. Low Fat

Introduction

Philadelphia Cream Cheese - Original vs. Low Fat

Philadelphia Cream Cheese is a cream cheese product created by Kraft Canada, and it has been a popular item among Canadians. It can be used as a spread on toast or bagels, or in recipes for desserts such as cheesecakes and other dishes. Philadelphia Cream Cheese is available in the original version and a low-fat version. Here our team has compared the differences between these two different products of cream cheeses.

Image 1: Philadelphia Cream Cheese - Original

Image 2: Philadelphia Cream Cheese - Low Fat

Pictures

Image 3: Nutrition Facts of Philadelphia Cream Cheese - Original

Image 4: Ingredient Lists of Cream Cheese - Original

Image 5: Expiration Date of Cream Cheese - Original

Image 6: Nutrition Facts of Philadelphia Cream Cheese - Low Fat

Image 7: Ingredient Lists of Cream Cheese - Low Fat

Image 8: Expiration Date of Cream Cheese - Low Fat

Image 9: Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Ingredients

Original	Low Fat
milk cream modified milk ingredients salt bacterial culture lactic acid carob bean gum potassium sorbate	modified milk ingredients water corn starch salt corn maltodextrin bacterial culture sodium citrate lactic acid carob bean gum mono- and diglycerides potassium sorbate calcium propionate xanthan gum guar gum natural flavor sorbic acid

Substitutes and Additives

	Original	Low fat
Fat substitutes	None	Corn maltodextrin
Sugar substitutes	None	None
Additives	carob bean gum potassium sorbate	sodium citrate calcium propionate mono- and diglycerides xanthan gum guar gum carob bean gum potassium sorbate sorbic acid

Roles of Substitutes and Additives

[Fat substitutes]

• Corn maltodextrin is a carbohydrate based fat substitute, and helps maintain a similar light and  creamy texture.

[Sugar substitutes]

• None

[Additives]

• Sodium citrate is categorized under “pH adjusting agent, acid reacting material, and water correcting agents”. It is used to prevent fat particles from sticking to each other.
• Calcium propionate is a food additive that acts as a preservative to prevent the growth of microorganisms.
• Mono- and diglycerides are emulsifiers which improves the creamy texture and consistency of the product.
• Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide produced by bacteria. It is used as a thickener and a low calorie fat substitute.
• Guar gum is a polysaccharide based food additive that acts as a thickener, stabilizer, and emulsifier.
• Carob bean gum is extracted from the seeds of the carob tree which acts as a thickener and stabilizer.
• Potassium sorbate is commonly used as a preservative as it does not affect the taste, smell, or appearance of the product.
• Sorbic acid is a preservative used to control the growth of microorganisms or oxidation in the food product.

Compare and Contrast

Ingredients in both products	Additional ingredients in low-fat product only
Modified milk ingredients Salt Bacterial culture Lactic acid Carob bean gum Potassium sorbate	Water Corn maltodextrin Sodium citrate Calcium propionate Mono and diglycerides Xanthan gum Guar gum Sorbic acid

All the ingredients contained in the original product are also included in the low-fat only product. However, the low-fat product contains many different additional ingredients. All of the additional ingredients are either fat substitutes or additives. As the low-fat product contains less fat and thus a different texture, these additives are used to help achieve a more creamy consistency that more closely resembles the original product while yielding less calories. First of all, in order to achieve low fat, corn maltodextrin, a carbohydrate based fat substitute, is added to reduce calories as well as producing a smooth and creamy mouthfeel. 1 gram of fat provides 9 kcal, whereas 1 gram of maltodextrin only yields 4 kcal. 

Labels

	Philadelphia Cream Cheese - Original vs. Low Fat
Common name of the food	Commonly known as Philadelphia Cream Cheese Original and Philadepia Cream Cheese Low-fat (Compliant)
Bilingual labeling	It contains both English and French labeling as it is by a Canadian company (Compliant)
Country of Origin	This is not required for dairy products produced in Canada, so it is not on the labels. (Compliant)
Date marking and storage instructions (if <90 days)	The best before date is labeled on the bottom of the box. Products need to be refrigerated at all times. Shelf life is 10 days after opening. (Compliant)
Identity and Principal Place of Business	The principal place of business is Ontario, Canada. (Compliant)
Legibility and location	The information on the packaging is easy to read and the products is easily accessible in Canada (Compliant)
Net quantity	227g is declared on the lid of both version of the product (Compliant)
Nutrition Facts table	The nutrition facts table contains all required elements such as calories, fat, sodium, carbohydrates, sugars, protein, and vitamin and mineral nutrients (Compliant)
List of ingredients (descending order of proportion) and allergens	List of ingredients are mentioned above, and can be seen in image 3. Milk listed as allergen (Compliant)
Sweeteners	Included in the list of ingredients, as described above and can be seen in image 3. (Compliant)
Food additives	Included in the list of ingredients, as described above and can be seen in image 3. (Compliant)
Nutrient content claims and diet-related health claims	None on both products (Compliant)
% milk fat and moisture declarations	Not provided on label (non-compliant as both are required for cream cheese products)

The information stated above complies with the regulatory requirements outlined in Lesson 4.

References

Please use the Wikipedia reference style. Provide a citation for every sentence, statement, thought, or bit of data not your own, giving the author, year, AND page.

This Food Science resource was created by Course:FNH200.