Effect of Freeze-Dried Camel Rennet Extract on Coagulation of Camel–Goat Milk Mixture and Characterization of the Cheese Obtained

TL;DR

This study explores using freeze-dried camel rennet to make cheese from a camel-goat milk mix, comparing it to microbial coagulants.

Contribution

The novel use of freeze-dried camel rennet extract for coagulating camel-goat milk mixtures is investigated for cheese production.

Findings

FDCR at 0.2 g/L effectively coagulated camel-goat milk mixture.

Cheese made with FDCR had higher dry matter and protein content compared to other methods.

Sensory evaluation showed panelists preferred cheese coagulated with FDCR.

Abstract

This study aims at the use of freeze-dried camel rennet extract (FDCR) in the manufacture of fresh cheeses from a mixture of camel and goat milk in comparison with the microbial coagulating agent (FDMC). Physical properties, chemical composition, microstructure, and sensory analysis of the cheeses were performed. The recommended amount of FDCR for coagulation of camel–goat milk mixture was 0.2 g/L. The cheese obtained was mainly characterized by dry matter 34.99 ± 0.57% and protein content 36.26 ± 1.75%/DM. Texture profile analysis revealed that the obtained cheese was mainly characterized by cohesiveness 0.32 ± 0.01 and springiness 14.25 ± 0.63 mm. The microstructure showed that the obtained cheese had more and wider pores. FTIR was used to monitor the differences in the gross composition of the obtained cheese compared to that coagulated with FDMC. The main difference was the presence of amide I in the cheese coagulated with FDCR. For X-ray diffraction, the results noted that the use of FDCR as a natural extract in the coagulation of camel–goat milk mixture did not lead to the appearance of crystalline structure in the cheese. For sensory evaluation, the panelists preferred the cheese coagulated with FDCR with a score of 9/15.

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