Affiliation:
1. University of Life Sciences �King Mihai I� from Timisoara
Abstract
Vegan alternatives to cheeses are in growing demand in European markets as more and more people are either lactose intolerant or switching to a plant-based diet. When the consumer chooses to buy a vegan cheese, his expectations are that the vegan product has the nutritional and organoleptic characteristics as similar as possible to those of conventional cheeses. This work aimed to obtain two variants of vegan alternative to cheese, using coconut milk as the raw material: one with the addition of white pepper and garlic powder (C1) and the second with the addition of turmeric and paprika (C2). Also, the finished products obtained were analyzed regarding the total content of polyphenols (Folin-Ciocalteu assay), antioxidant activity (DPPH free radical method), proximate composition, energy value and sensory properties (five points hedonic scale assay). The C2 product variant with the addition of turmeric and paprika stood out for the highest content of total polyphenols (5,17�0,14 mg gallic acid/g) and the best DPPH free radical inhibition activity (55,86�0,34 %). Concerning the proximate composition and energy value, the differences between the two products were small, and at the sensory analysis the C1 variant obtained good scores (over 4) and C2 very good scores (over 4.5) in all sensory characteristics.