Composition and Nutritive Value of Cheese Produced from Milk Treated with Hydrogen Peroxide and Catalase

Abstract

Summary This study provides information on the nutritional value and wholesomeness of cheese made from milk treated with hydrogen peroxide at 5, 10, and 25 times the anticipated normal practical levels. The milks and their wheys obtained in preparing the cheese samples also were tested. The samples were analyzed for proximate composition and for the vitamins, niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B 6 , pantothenic acid, folic acid, vitamin B 12 , vitamin A, and beta-carotene. The amino acids, methionine, cystine, tryptophane, and lysine, also were determined. Biological protein evaluation was done for milk, whey, and cheese by feeding these products to rats to provide 9% protein (dry-weight basis) as the sole source of protein in an otherwise complete ration. Additional rat-feeding tests were done on cheese which furnished 14% protein in the diet. The results indicated no marked changes in the composition or nutritive value of milk treated with 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5% hydrogen peroxide, or of the whey or cheese obtained from that milk.