Stability of texture, meltability and water mobility model of pizza-style cheeses from goat's milk

The influence of the texture and color of goat’s salad cheese on the emotional reactions of consumers compared to cow’s milk cheese and Feta cheese

In this study, the sensory and mechanical aspects of the texture of goat’s milk salad cheese were correlated with the emotional profiles of consumers. Using descriptive sensory analysis and instrumental assessment, the texture profile of goat’s milk salad cheese was compared to cow’s milk salad cheese and Feta cheese. Texture measurements confirmed that goat’s cheese compared to cow’s cheese had more softness and less hardness, and Feta cheese had the highest whiteness index compared to the other cheeses. Goat’s milk salad cheese was much less acceptable to consumers compared to cow’s milk cheese and Feta cheese. Consumers also indicated that the hardness of goat’s cheese was lower than that of cow’s cheese and Feta cheese. A reduction in “stickiness” in comparison with cow’s cheese was also reported; however, it was much higher than that for Feta cheese. The “fracturability” and “graininess” of goat’s cheese was similar to cow’s cheese. Emotional profile analysis showed that goat’s cheese evokes mainly negative emotions. Consumers indicated only one positive emotion in the case of this cheese, which was “healthy”. The most frequently mentioned emotions after the consumption of goat’s cheese were “upset”, “disgusted” and “worried”. Many consumers also indicated “disappointed” and “angry”, which did not occur after the consumption of cow’s cheese. This research shows how important it is to combine several analyses and techniques when evaluating dairy products, including salad cheeses. It is also important that consumer research is enriched by emotional profiling.

Graphical abstract

The Effect of Freezing Sheep's Milk on the Meltability, Texture, Melting and Fat Crystallization Profiles of Fresh Pasta Filata Cheese

Simple Summary

Sheep’s milk is usually produced on small farms. It is mainly used in the pro duction of cheese products. One of the methods of extending the shelf life of sheep’s milk is freezing it. In this study we examined the effect of freezing on sheep’s milk and a mixture of sheep’s and cow’s milk on the quality of fresh pasta filata cheeses produced from the milk. It has been proven that the freezing of milk affects the possibility of using it in later cheese processing. Freezing sheep’s milk influenced, among others, a greater hardness and less elasticity of the cheese. We also noticed that the addition of frozen sheep’s milk caused consumer dissatisfaction.

Abstract

Sheep’s milk is produced in smallholdings, which hinders the continuity of production. Therefore, freezing during periods of high production can be a solution. Herein, we examined the effect of freezing on sheep’s milk and a mixture of sheep and cow’s milk (70:30, v/v) on the quality of fresh pasta filata cheeses produced from the milk. Frozen/thawed sheep’s milk contributes little to the development of innovative and reformulated cheeses. This was due to 24% higher hardness and greater extensibility and cutting force, as well as lower stretching and elasticity. Although their flowability increased (Oiling-off from 3 to 12%), the meltability (tube test, and Schreiber test) decreased. Additionally, the use of frozen milk caused consumer dissatisfaction. The consumer penalty analysis of the just–about–right showed that freezing of the milk caused the loss of the refreshing, elasticity and shininess of pasta filata cheeses.

Spectroscopic techniques for monitoring changes in the quality of milk and other dairy products during processing and storage

The application of spectroscopic techniques can help in alleviating problems encountered during the processing of milk and dairy products. Indeed, traditional analytical methods (e.g., physicochemical measurements, sensory, chromatography) are relatively expensive, time-consuming, and require chemicals and sophisticated analytical equipment, and skilled operators. Hence, there is a need to develop faster and less costly methods for accurately monitoring changes in the quality of milk and other dairy products during processing and storage.Many nondestructive and noninvasive instrumental techniques are available for inline and online monitoring of food. These include fluorescence spectroscopy, mid-infrared (MIR), near-infrared (NIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), etc. These techniques are usually used in combination with chemometric tools a to explore the information present in spectral data.This review article will discuss the potential of the above-mentioned spectroscopic techniques for monitoring chemical modifications of dairy products and the prediction of their functional properties during processing. The advantages and disadvantages of each technique are also discussed in this review. Finally, some conclusions are drawn, and the future trends of these methods are presented.

Water and oil signal assignment in low-moisture mozzarella as determined by time-domain NMR T2 relaxometry

A time-domain ¹ H nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry method was elaborated for the rapid microstructural characterization of mozzarella cheese. For this purpose, there is a strong need to know how the experimentally determined T₂ relaxation time distribution can be related to specific constituents in mozzarella. In this study, a detailed investigation is offered for fresh and aged low-moisture mozzarella cheese, often applied as a pizza cheese, by application of both a conventional Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) sequence and a free-induction decay CPMG (FID-CPMG) sequence. The relaxation behavior was further elucidated by addition of deuterium oxide and by mild heat treatment of samples. The relaxation times of water protons in mozzarella were found to range from a few microseconds to some tens of milliseconds (in aged mozzarella) or to about hundred milliseconds (in fresh mozzarella). The upper limit of the T₂ distribution can even be extended to the seconds range upon releasing water protons from the mozzarella matrix using a mild heat treatment or upon addition of deuterated water. Both stimuli also provided evidence for the absorption of water into the cheese matrix. The potential release and uptake of water demonstrated that mozzarella acts as a very dynamic system during production and storage. The detected differences in the behavior of the water fraction between fresh and aged low-moisture mozzarella might be utilized to study the influence of either production and/or storage conditions on the cheese ripening process.

Production of a New Plant-Based Milk from Adenanthera pavonina Seed and Evaluation of Its Nutritional and Health Benefits

A new plant milk was discovered from the seed of Adenanthera pavonina. The physicochemical and nutritional properties of the new pro-milk extract were assessed, and their biochemical effects were compared with those of soy bean extracts. Eleven groups of three albino rats each were used to assess the health benefits of the pro-milk. Groups were separately administered 3.1, 6.1, and 9.2 µl/g animal wt. pro-milk extract from A. pavonina seed, 6.1 µl/g animal wt. milk extract from soybean, and 6.1 µl/g animal wt. normal saline for 7 or 14 days. The “baseline” group consisted of those sacrificed on day 0. Among the physical properties considered, the pro-milk from A. pavonina had significantly higher (P < 0.05) hue color value and significantly lower (P < 0.05) L* than that from soy bean did. The pro-milk from A. pavonina had a significantly higher (P < 0.05) level of protein (36.14 ± 0.12%), Ca (440.99 ± 0.93 mg/l), Mg (96.69 ± 0.03 mg/l), K (190.41 ± 0.11 mg/l), Na (64.24 ± 0.24 mg/l), and Cu (0.55 ± 0.24 mg/l), and a significantly lower (P < 0.05) level of Mn (0.04 ± 0.01 mg/l) and vitamins A (undetectable), C (1.87 ± 0.01 mg/100 g), and E (0.12 ± 0.01 mg/100 g) compared to those of soy milk. The daily consumption of the pro-milk extract from A. pavonina for 14 days significantly reduced (P < 0.05) Ca²⁺-adenosine triphosphate synthase (Ca²⁺-ATPase) at low dose (3.1 µl/g animal wt.), but significantly increased (P < 0.05) Mg²⁺-ATPase at high dose (9.2 µl/g animal wt.). Daily administration of the A. pavonina extract for 14 days caused a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in acetylcholinesterase activity in the liver, intestine, heart, and kidney, suggesting that the pro-milk may facilitate ions transportation across the membrane. The pro-milk offers promising beneficial effects for patients with neurological diseases, as well as supporting general health owing to the high protein and mineral content. Vitamins fortification is recommended during production.