Technology Development to incorporate Onion (Allium cepa L) oil as a functional ingredient in Cheese spread

Abstract

The incorporation of functional ingredients in cheese is a new technology application in the food industry. Onion oil is considered a functional oil which is obtained by cold pressing f onion. These oils were incorporated as a functional ingredient in a percentage of 0.3 ml/Kg, 0.35 ml/Kg, 0.40 ml/Kg, and 0.45 ml/Kg and named T1 to T4 respectively and T0 as a control sample with pure water while maintaining the standard process. Prepared samples were poured into 175 ml glass bottles and kept for sensory, chemical, and microbiological analyses at room temperature and then chilled. The sensory attributes were examined using the 5-point hedonic test. Except for taste and appearance, no significant differences in qualitative attributes were identified in all samples. To assess the shelf life microbiological characteristics such as total plate count, yeast and mould, and coliforms, as well as chemical data such as pH, moisture content, and titratable acidity were tested. The onion oil sample T4 showed good sensory and chemical attributes for cheese and therefore, it can be concluded that the functional onion oil incorporation technology is useful for producing a better cheese spread for the market.