Storage Stability of Novel Functional Drinks Based on Ricotta Cheese Whey and Fruit Juices

Giovanna Cortellino,Anna Rizzolo

doi:10.3390/beverages4030067

Abstract

To study the storage stability of drinks produced by blending ricotta cheese whey (RCW) with fruit juices, apple-RCW and apple and blueberry mix (50:50)-RCW (juice/RCW ratio: 70/30, 14.5% soluble solids content) were prepared. Color, sugar and organic acid profiles, antioxidant composition, and sensory features were analyzed after 15 to 150 days of storage on an open shelf at room temperature. A browning phenomenon occurred in the apple-RCW-based drink, while no significant color changes occurred in the mix-based drink. Significant degradation of polyphenol compounds (TPC) occurred in both drinks, but more markedly in the mix-based one. Storage strongly influenced the stability of the total monomeric anthocyanins (MAP) due to their sensitivity to temperature and light. Antioxidant capacity was preserved in both drinks, suggesting that the antioxidant capacity of Maillard reaction products and/or polymeric anthocyanins formed during storage compensated for the TPC/MAP loss. Sugar and organic acid profiles changed without influencing the sensory characteristics. Except for the sourness intensity in the apple-based drink, which increased significantly, storage did not negatively influence the sensory parameters, so both RCW-based drinks obtained high acceptance scores at the end of the storage period. Despite the bioactive compound losses, both drinks provided interesting nutritional value at the end of the storage period, particularly the mix-based drink. The overall results showed that both products are stable enough to hypothesize their commercialization.

Highlights

Ricotta cheese whey (RCW), called scotta, is a highly pollutant dairy waste [1]
This study suggested mixing the blueberry juice with apple juice in order to buffer the high sourness of the blueberry-based drink, which on the other hand was preferred for color, as well as to enrich the apple-based drink, which was preferred for taste, with anthocyanin compounds from blueberry
The loss of phenolic compounds in the mix-ricotta cheese whey (RCW) sample was in line with the findings reported in the literature [20] for blueberries, elderberry, and blackberry juices stored for six months in the dark at 40 ◦ C, whose phenolic concentration decreased by approximately 40% throughout the first 30 days of storage and remained nearly stable until six months of storage was reached

Summary

Introduction

Ricotta cheese whey (RCW), called scotta, is a highly pollutant dairy waste [1]. It is the main by-product of ricotta cheese production obtained after the flocculation of whey proteins induced by thermal treatment of cheese whey at 85–90 ◦ C for about 20 min. In the last few years, novel dairy-based beverages have been developed. They can be categorized into two basic groups: (i) fortified dairy beverages (including probiotics, prebiotics/fibers, polyphenols, peptides, sterol/stanols, minerals, vitamins, and fish oil); and (ii) whey-based beverages, i.e., dairy-type beverages, thirst-quenching beverages, and fruit juice-type beverages [4]. In fruit juice-type beverages, the whey composition [5] is enriched by the nutraceutical compounds of the fruit, increasing the functional value of the final product [4,6,7,8]

Methods

Results

Conclusion