Incorporating flaxseed (linum usitatissimum) oil into queso blanco at different stages of the cheese manufacturing process

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical and microbial properties of queso blanco (QB) with flaxseed oil (FO) incorporated at different stages of the cheese manufacturing process. Whole milk was homogenized, coagulated with citric acid, salted with NaCl, and the resulting curds were pressed. Then QBFO was produced by incorporating FO during homogenization (QBFO-H), coagulation (QBFO-C), or salting (QBFO-S). The cheeses were stored at 8 °C for 30 days. Significantly lower lipid oxidation in QB was observed when FO was added during coagulation or salting compared to homogenization. However, lipid oxidation values of QBFO-H did not exceed the allowable limit for good quality food, it experienced the lowest yeast and mold counts, and only QBFO-H had a significantly higher lipid content than QB. This study demonstrated that QB containing FO can be effectively produced by incorporating FO during the homogenization step of the cheese manufacturing process. Practical applications Flaxseed oil (FO) is a potent source of α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. Incorporation of FO into queso blanco (QB) cheese may provide a functional food that aids in greater omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid consumption. Addition of FO into QB during homogenization yielded a good quality cheese with higher fat content.