Development of curd for children from sheep milk with berries: improvement of nutritional and functional properties

Abstract

The development of functional products for children based on sheep's milk with the addition of berries is a pressing issue in the field of baby food. The object of this study is baby curds based on sheep's milk with the addition of berries. The task that this study solves is to improve the nutritional and organoleptic characteristics of baby products made from sheep's milk since pure sheep's milk without additives has a specific smell and taste, which reduces its attractiveness to children. The results of the study showed that the addition of berries (chokeberry, raspberry, strawberry) significantly improves the taste and aromatic properties of curds. Children preferred curds with berries since they had a creamy-berry aroma, while curds without additives retained the characteristic smell and taste of sheep's milk. It was also found that the addition of berries increased the antioxidant activity of the product due to enrichment with vitamins (especially vitamin C) and dietary fiber. By adding berries to the curds, it was possible to increase the nutritional value, improve the taste characteristics and increase the digestibility of the product. These results solve the problem of low consumer appeal of sheep milk-based products. The results could be used in the production of functional dairy products for children, especially for creating products with increased antioxidant potential and improved organoleptic characteristics. Such curds can be in demand under conditions of mass production for children, as they improve the nutritional value and increase consumer appeal due to taste improvements.