Integrated Insights into Structural and Flavor Functions of Milk Fat in Cheese Systems: Implications for Fat Reduction and Replacement Strategies

The increasing demand for sustainable and health-oriented dairy and alternative products has enhanced interest in reducing or modifying fat in cheese systems. However, such modifications often lead to undesirable changes in texture and flavor, highlighting the multifunctional roles of milk fat within the cheese matrix. Rather than serving solely as a compositional component, milk fat contributes fundamentally to structure organization and flavor development through its physicochemical properties, interactions with the protein network, and lipid-derived pathways. This review examines these roles from a mechanistic perspective and evaluates emerging lipid structuring approaches for texture modulation, while also discussing complementary approaches with potential to address flavor attributes. Collectively, it provides insights for rational formulation and guides future research toward the design of improved dairy and alternative cheese products.