Development of an Assortment of Semi-Hard Cheese with the Addition of Za`'Atar as a Functional Ingredient

Abstract

Migrating through a healthy diet is a must. Including in the daily diet as high a percentage of functional foods as possible must be a priority for the population. Za`atar is a mix of herbs rich in bioactive compounds that possess beneficial properties for the human body.(Khalil, și alții, 2022)The present study aims to diversify the assortment range of cheeses by obtaining a semi-hard cheese matured in za`atar. In this study, the sensory and physico-chemical effects of za`atar on semi-hard cheese during the ripening period, when za`atar is used as a coating for cheese pieces, were addressed. The ripening period of the semi-hard cheese was 40 days, and the analyses were performed on the first day, in the middle of the period, and on the last day, by comparison with a classic semi-hard cheese (without addition) produced under similar conditions. Very good results in terms of sensory analysis using a non-numerical method were obtained by cheese with za`atar coating, especially from the second part of the ripening process. Adding a coating of za`atar to the surface of the cheese does not change much the physicochemical parameters of the cheese.