Effect of coagulating enzymes and types of milk on the physico-chemical, proximate composition and sensory attributes of iron fortified Mozzarella cheese

Abstract

Mozzarella cheese is an extremely versatile product that has been widely used by the food sector as an essential ingredient in pizza, cheeseburger, cheese-based salads, etc. The main aim of the present investigation is to study the effect of coagulating enzymes and types of milk on the physico-chemical, proximate composition and sensory attributes of iron fortified mozzarella cheese. Iron-fortified mozzarella cheese was prepared using chymosin (control group) and kiwifruit crude extract (treatment group) from three different types of milk (cow milk 100%, goat milk 100%, and cow: goat milk 50:50 ratio). SDS-PAGE of kiwifruit crude extract exhibited protein bands at 24.5 kDa, 20.3 kDa, and 18.8 kDa. The milk clotting time of kiwifruit crude extract exhibited a shorter coagulation time in the presence of CaCl2. Highly significant (p<0.01) difference between enzymes, types of milk, and the interaction effect between enzymes and types of milk were noted for pH. Similarly, a highly significant difference (p<0.01) was observed between types of milk and interaction effect between enzymes and types of milk while a significant difference (p<0.05) was observed between enzymes for titratable acidity. The highest moisture and fat content were noted in the control group for goat and mixed milk cheese while fat, ash, and TS were comparably higher in the treatment group in mixed and goat milk cheese samples. The sensory score of mixed milk cheese enjoyed the maximum ratings by the taste panel members. Based on the findings, the present study suggests that mixed milk iron fortified mozzarella cheese (treatment group) was adjudged the best product compared to cow milk or goat milk mozzarella cheese