To better exploit manufacturing facilities and standardize cheese quality, milk composition could be
standardized by fortifying its protein content with a milk protein concentrate (MPC) addition so avoiding
partially skimming the milk. With this aim Mozzarella cheese was obtained adding citric acid into milk
standardized at 4% protein and a fat to protein ratio of 1.0. Protein fortification was obtained adding MPC
produced by ultrafiltration. Milk, whey, curd, cheese and stretching water were weighed and analysed for
total solid, fat and protein content, to measure component recovery and yield. Yield increase (from 13.8%
to 16.7%) was due to the higher recovery of the milk total solids and proteins in MPC cheese (48.2 and
78.3%, respectively) and to the slightly higher cheese moisture, obtained with a little modification of the
cheese technology when adding MPC. Milk fat in cheese was lower than that reported in literature. Hot
water stretching of the curd resulted in very low losses (1%) of protein and considerable losses (14%) of
fat for both control and MPC cheeses. The likely reasons of this low recovery are discussed and it can be
supposed that a further cheese yield increase is possible by changing the curd stretching procedures.