Evaluation of the effects of beeswax films formulated with sesame and black cumin oils on the fermentation and bio-flavouring properties of pasta-filata type kashar cheese

Abstract

This study investigated the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics, textural, organic acid and flavour profiles of Kashar cheese coated with a wax combination, including sesame and black cumin oil, in different ratios during ripening. After cheese samples were stored with fixed oil added to beeswax, pH, aw, L*, a*, adhesiveness, cohesiveness and gumminess decreased, but other parameters increased. The effect was higher in samples containing black cumin oil than in those containing sesame oil, and it varied according to oil content. On the last day of storage, cheeses coated with 4% black cumin oil had the highest browning factor, stretchiness and meltability values of 126.81, 10.30 and 68.19, respectively. In identical samples, hardness (1653.99 N), springiness (4.90) and chewiness (8115.62 N) reached their maximum values. The samples coated with 4% black cumin oil had the highest amounts of lactic, succinic, formic and citric acids (11,532, 177,144, 64,756 and 14,090 mg/kg increments). On the 90th day of storage, samples coated with 4% black cumin had the highest amounts of aromatic diacetyl (10.27 mg/kg), butyric acid (0.610 mg/kg) and propionic acid (2.835 mg/kg). It was found that a beeswax coating improved the physicochemical and microbiological qualities of Kashar cheese, increasing organic acids and aroma compounds and improving melting and elongation, which indicate cheese ripening. Coating improved cheese's textural qualities, whereas a blend of fixed oil and beeswax increased fermentation, proteolysis, lipolysis and hastened ripening. The samples with the highest organic acid and aromatic compounds were coated and ripened with black cumin oil-beeswax.