Effect of adding cardamom, thyme and clove essential oils on some properties of white soft cheese made from goats' milk

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to improve the properties of white soft cheese made from goats' milk by adding spice essential oils at concentrations of 75 and 90 ppm cardamom, 50 and 75 ppm thyme and 40 and 60 ppm clove to goats' milk. All resultant cheeses were compared aganist that made from buffalos' milk [control I] and goats' milk [control II]. The quality of resultant cheeses was evaluated for their chemical composition, microbiological and organoleptic properties during storage at 6 +/- 1°C for 45 days. The results revealed that additives at two concentrations of essential oils insignificantly affected percentages of moisture, salt/ moisture and fat/dry matter. Moisture% significantly decreased [P protein% increased during storage period at 6 +/- 1°C. Values of titratable acidity [TA], water soluble nitrogen/total nitrogen [WSN/TN], non protein nitrogen/total nitrogen [NPN/TN] and total volatile fatty acids [TVFA] for all treated cheeses were significantly lower than control II during pickling period. Increasing the proportion of spice essential oils had a marked effect on the same properties. The TA, WSN/TN, NPN/TN and TVFA in cheese samples increased, while the pH values decreased continuously during storage period [P goats' cheese samples treated by cardamom, thyme and clove essential oils during the pickling period. The rate of decrease in the hysteresis area of control II was higher than that of control I. Statistically, there were significant differences due to treatments, pickling period and the interaction between treatments and pickling period [P spice essential oils decreased clearly counts of different tested microbial groups [total viable count, psychrophilic bacteria, yeasts and moulds and coliforms] throughout storage period as compared to control II and control I. Spice essential oils added improved the flavour and quality of white soft cheese made from goats' milk. Therefore, white soft cheese could be successfully made from goats' milk with adding cardamom, thyme or clove essential oils, especially clove or cardamom at concentrations of 40 and 75 ppm, respectively and with storage at 6 +/- 1°C for 45 days