2023, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota, Teichert, Joanna, Gawałek, Jolanta

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the freeze-drying process on the preservation of mare’s milk. This was achieved through the characterization of the functional properties of reconstituted freeze-dried mare’s milk. The chemical composition, bulk density, foam capacity, and ability to form emulsions of the atherogenic, thrombogenic, and hypercholesterolemic fatty acid index were investigated. The freeze-drying process did not change the proportion of the milk components in the dry matter. The moisture content of the freeze-dried mare’s milk was 10.3 g/kg and the bulk was below 0.1 g/mL. The foaming capacity was 111.3%; hence, the foaming capacity of the milk was very poor. The oil binding capacity was 2.19 g/g of protein. The freeze-drying process improves the binding degree and retention of oil by milk proteins, but produced foam was unstable, short-lived, and lacked the ability to retain air fractions. The atherogenic index and thrombogenic index values calculated for reconstituted milk were 1.02 and 0.53, respectively. The hypercholesterolemia fatty acid index was 25.01.

2025, Kowalczewski, Przemysław, Smarzyński, Krzysztof, Biegalski, Jakub, Muzolf-Panek, Małgorzata, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota, Ruszkowska, Millena, Lewandowicz, Jacek, Miedzianka, Joanna, Wróbel, Martyna Maria, Kačániová, Miroslava, Baranowska, Hanna Maria

The growing interest in plant-based diets is driving the search for new products, including alternatives to dairy cheese. The aim of this research was to develop a recipe and technology for the production of a vegan cheese, then to characterize the physical, mechanical as well as molecular properties of the obtained products. The use of protein isolated from potato juice seems to be appropriate due to the nutritional value of the formed product and to the environmental benefits, that is, the use of waste potato juice to obtain a valuable raw material. It was found that as a result of the interaction of protein with carbohydrates and fats, the hardness and viscosity of the obtained products increase. Moreover, it was shown that one of the tested cheese analogues, which contains 5% of potato juice protein, 12% of oil and 25% of modified potato starch, is the optimal analyzed variant. It has attractive culinary properties, such as meltability; therefore, it can be used in production of hot dishes, for example, as a plant-based alternative to dairy cheese in pizza.

2022, Pilarska, Agnieszka, Pilarski, Krzysztof, Adamski, Mariusz, Zaborowicz, Maciej, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota, Wolna-Maruwka, Agnieszka, Niewiadomska, Alicja

This article aims to present the results of research on anaerobic digestion (AD) of waste wafers (WF-control) and co-substrate system—waste wafers and cheese (WFC-control), combined with digested sewage sludge. The aim of this study was to assess the physicochemical parameters of the diatomaceous earth/peat (DEP; 3:1) carrier material and to verify its impact on the enzymatic activity and the process performance. The experiment was conducted in a laboratory, in a periodical mode of operation of bioreactors, under mesophilic conditions. The results of analyses of morphological-dispersive, spectroscopic, adsorption, thermal, and microbiological properties confirmed that the tested carrier material can be an excellent option to implement in biotechnological processes, especially in anaerobic digestion. As part of the experiment, the substrates, feedstock, and fermenting slurry were subjected to the analysis for standard process parameters. Monitoring of the course of AD was performed by measuring the values of key parameters for the recognition of the stability of the process: pH, VFA/TA ratio (volatile fatty acids/total alkalinity), the content of NH4+, and dehydrogenase activity, as an indicator of the intensity of respiratory metabolism of microorganisms. No significant signals of destabilization of the AD process were registered. The highest dehydrogenase activity, in the course of the process, was maintained in the WFC + DEP system. The microbial carrier DEP, used for the first time in the anaerobic digestion, had a positive effect on the yield of methane production. As a result, an increase in the volume of produced biogas was obtained for samples fermented with DEP carrier material for WF + DEP by 13.18% to a cumulative methane yield of 411.04 m3 Mg−1 VS, while for WFC + DEP by 12.85% to 473.91 m3 Mg−1 VS.

2023, Kaczyński, Łukasz K., Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota, Bielska, Paulina, Teichert, Joanna Elżbieta, Biegalski, Jakub, Yiğit, Aslı, Chudy, Sylwia

AbstractIn this study, the sensory and mechanical aspects of the texture of goat’s milk salad cheese were correlated with the emotional profiles of consumers. Using descriptive sensory analysis and instrumental assessment, the texture profile of goat’s milk salad cheese was compared to cow’s milk salad cheese and Feta cheese. Texture measurements confirmed that goat’s cheese compared to cow’s cheese had more softness and less hardness, and Feta cheese had the highest whiteness index compared to the other cheeses. Goat’s milk salad cheese was much less acceptable to consumers compared to cow’s milk cheese and Feta cheese. Consumers also indicated that the hardness of goat’s cheese was lower than that of cow’s cheese and Feta cheese. A reduction in “stickiness” in comparison with cow’s cheese was also reported; however, it was much higher than that for Feta cheese. The “fracturability” and “graininess” of goat’s cheese was similar to cow’s cheese. Emotional profile analysis showed that goat’s cheese evokes mainly negative emotions. Consumers indicated only one positive emotion in the case of this cheese, which was “healthy”. The most frequently mentioned emotions after the consumption of goat’s cheese were “upset”, “disgusted” and “worried”. Many consumers also indicated “disappointed” and “angry”, which did not occur after the consumption of cow’s cheese. This research shows how important it is to combine several analyses and techniques when evaluating dairy products, including salad cheeses. It is also important that consumer research is enriched by emotional profiling. Graphical abstract

2022, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota, Kaczyński, Łukasz K., Bielska, Paulina

The aim of this study was to analyze the inhibition of galactooligosaccharide (GOS) degradation in heat-treated milk with permeate obtained by microfiltration and concentrated by ultrafiltration. An attempt was made to obtain raw material with a designed composition and stability in terms of GOS content for the production of fermented milk beverages. This study is important due to the versatile possibility of using milk and permeate with GOS in further processing and food production. During the heat treatment of goat’s milk, GOS degradation was approx. 16%. However, no changes in GOS content were observed in goat’s milk with permeate after 30 and 60 min of heating between 72 and 92 °C. Therefore, goat’s milk with permeate in terms of GOS content was stable for up to 60 min, regardless of the temperature. The addition of permeate effectively inhibits GOS degradation in milk. It has been shown that the produced raw material with a stable GOS content during heating can be further used for the production of kefir.

2023, Baygut, Hatice, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota, Bielska, Paulina, Teichert, Joanna Elżbieta

In this study, the effects of the fermentation kinetics, determination of the number of lactic acid bacteria, texture, water holding capacity, and color of fermented soy beverages with acai powder (3 and 6% w/v) were investigated. The addition of acai powder significantly influenced the fermentation kinetics based on changes in pH, accelerating fermentation in the initial period. The results showed that the acai additive did not affect the enumeration of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis. The presence of acai inhibited the proliferation of Streptococcus thermophilus compared to the soy beverage without acai powder added. However, the higher the acai additive, the more Streptococcus thermophilus bacteria were detected: 4.39 CFU/g for 6% acai powder sample and 3.40 CFU/g for 3% acai powder sample. The addition of acai to the soy beverage reduced its firmness, consistency, cohesiveness, and viscosity index after fermentation. A slight difference was observed in the lightness and whiteness of fermented soy beverages with 3% and 6% acai powder.

2022, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota, Walkowiak-Tomczak, Dorota, Rudzińska, Magdalena

2022, Bielska, Paulina, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota, Dwiecki, Krzysztof

In this research effects of heat treatment duration on the electrical properties (zeta potential and conductivity), texture and color of polymerized whey protein (PWP) were analyzed. Whey protein solutions were heated for 30 min to obtain single-heated polymerized whey protein (SPWP). After cooling to room temperature, the process was repeated to obtain double-heated polymerized whey protein (DPWP). The largest agglomeration was demonstrated after 10 min of single-heating (zeta potential recorded as −13.3 mV). Single-heating decreased conductivity by 68% and the next heating cycle by 54%. As the heating time increased, there was a significant increase in the firmness of the heated solutions. Zeta potential of the polymerized whey protein correlated with firmness, consistency, and index of viscosity, the latter of which was higher when the zeta potential (r = 0.544) and particle size (r = 0.567) increased. However, there was no correlation between zeta potential and color. This research has implications for future use of PWP in the dairy industry to improve the syneretic, textural, and sensory properties of dairy products.

2022, Pawlak, Tomasz, Pilarska, Agnieszka, Przybył, Krzysztof, Stangierski, Jerzy, Ryniecki, Antoni, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota, Pilarski, Krzysztof, Peplińska, Barbara

The objective of the study was to create artificial neural networks (ANN) capable of highly efficient recognition of modified and unmodified puffed pork snacks for the purposes of obtaining an optimal final product. The study involved meat snacks produced from unmodified and papain modified raw pork (Psoas major) by means of microwave-vacuum puffing (MVP) under specified conditions. The snacks were then analyzed using various instruments in order to determine their basic chemical composition, color and texture. As a result of the MVP process, the moisture-to-protein ratio (MPR) was reduced to 0.11. A darker color and reduction in hardness of approx. 25% was observed in the enzymatically modified products. Multi-layer perceptron networks (MLPN) were then developed using color and texture descriptor training sets (machine learning), which is undoubtedly an innovative solution in this area.

2024, Yiğit Ziolkowski, Aslı, Bielska, Paulina, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota, Samur, Gülhan

This research unveiled new insights on the impact of incorporating whey proteins into kefir produced using three different methods. This aims to improve its quality and health benefits, primarily as a result of optimal proliferation of probiotic bacteria. In the initial part of the experiment, samples were prepared using three different methods (methods 1, 2, and 3) to examine the impact of introducing whey protein on bacterial count, the content of L(+)-lactic acid, lactase activity, and the lactic acid and ethanol levels. The methods differed primarily in the sequence of the inoculation milk with probiotic bacteria stage in the production cycle, as well as incubation time and temperature. No significant differences were found in the number of yeasts and bacteria between samples with and without whey proteins. However, it was revealed that the 5% addition of whey proteins enhanced the number of probiotic bacteria in kefir produced with method 2 (from 4.86 to 5.52 log cfu/mL) and method 3 (from 3.68 to 4.01 log cfu/mL). The second part of the research investigated the impact of whey proteins on firmness, consistency, cohesiveness, viscosity, color, and water activity of kefir. This part focused on testing samples with lower whey protein contents (1 and 3%, w/v). We found that the addition of 1% and 3% whey proteins resulted in decreased firmness, consistency, cohesiveness, and viscosity compared to the control kefir. On the other hand, the addition of 5% whey proteins resulted in increased firmness and consistency compared to the addition of 1% and 3% whey proteins. The addition of whey protein decreased the white index WI of the kefir samples. Overall, our results revealed that incorporating whey protein concentrate (WPC) in the production of probiotic kefir can enhance its health benefits while maintaining its rheological properties and overall quality.

2022, Chudy, Sylwia, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota, Tomaszewska-Gras, Jolanta

The aim of this work is to analyse the physicochemical features of milk fat products (60%, 74% and 82% fat) and to learn about consumer preferences regarding these products, based on the results of consumer research. In addition, this study was conducted to answer the question of which features of milk fat products are most valued by consumers and which fat attribute has the strongest influence on consumer choice. Tests on the physicochemical characteristics of milk fat products, including analysis of composition, water activity, tocopherol and β-carotene content, colour, texture, melting profile and solid fat index, as well as consumer tests are carried out. The tested products met the requirements of Appendix II for Regulation (EU) No. 1308/2013. Based on consumer preferences, it was found that taste, followed by colour, was the most important attribute of milk fat products. The most desired fat was butter (82% fat), although it was difficult to spread at 4 °C. The best cuttability and spreadability was found in butter containing three-quarters fat (74%), but it was the least desired product by consumers. Most of the respondents (68%) preferred the yellow shade of milk fats to the white one. This indicates the need to add colours (e.g., carrot juice concentrate or other natural healthy food ingredients).

2023, Bielska, Paulina, Skotarczak, Ewa Alicja, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota, Teichert, Joanna

2023, Bielska, Paulina, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota

Buttermilk and whey, despite their documented health and technological potential, are still not sufficiently utilized for the development of new products. In this research, the texture, color, gloss, cheese yield, and peptonization of fresh white cheeses made from buttermilk with the addition of whey proteins after heat treatment were analyzed. Additionally, the influence of the polymerization process on cheese yield and composition was examined. Four fresh white cheese samples were prepared: without a whey protein concentrate (FWC); with a whey protein concentrate (FWC/WPC); with single-heated polymerized whey proteins (FWC/SPWP); and with double-heated polymerized whey proteins (FWC/DPWP). The introduction of whey proteins in buttermilk cheese production increased the cheese yield by over 2-fold. There were no differences in color and gloss between the FWC/SPWP and FWC/DPWP samples. The cheese became glassy and transparent during melting. The content of uncrushed curd that remained white ranged from 27% in FWC/DPWP to 74% in FWC/SPWP.

2024, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota, Bielska, Paulina, Rudzińska, Magdalena, Grygier, Anna

2022, Biegalski, Jakub, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota, Wawrzyniak, Jolanta

2023, Biegalski, Jakub, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota

The presented study analyzed the possibility of pasta filata cheese production using sheep’s milk powder in different forms and substitution amounts with fresh cow’s milk. For the production of the pasta filata cheeses that were analyzed in the research, sheep’s milk powder and reconstituted sheep’s milk were used for partial substitution with fresh cow’s milk in the amount of approx. 20, 30 and 40 percent (v/v). The obtained results showed that the more sheep’s milk in the form of powder in the mixture, the lower the cheese’s moisture content. The fat and protein content in the whey after the production of cheeses from mixtures was lower than after the production of cheeses from reconstituted sheep’s milk only. Cheeses produced entirely from reconstituted sheep’s milk displayed the highest fat loss. The greatest cheese yield was observed for cheeses from mixtures with sheep’s milk powder and entirely from reconstituted sheep’s milk. Pasta filata cheeses made from a mixture of cow’s milk and sheep’s milk powder that was not reconstituted were much less acceptable to consumers than reconstituted milk powder cheeses, especially those with 40% and 30% added powder. Sensory profile analysis showed that the addition of sheep’s milk to the mixture, regardless of the form, affected the appearance, consistency, and flavor of the produced pasta filata cheeses. Mixing cow’s milk with sheep’s milk powder created the possibility of modeling the final cheese quality and yield.

2022, Biegalski, Jakub, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota

2023, Yiğit, Aslı, Bielska, Paulina, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota, Samur, Gülhan

2022, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota, Bielska, Paulina, Baranowska, Hanna M., Tomaszewska-Gras, Jolanta

In this research, the behavior of water in buttermilk cheese with the addition of polymerized whey proteins was determined. Various parameters of the produced cheese, such as texture, color, water activity, and unbound protein fraction, were examined. Four different samples of buttermilk cheese were prepared, including no addition of whey protein concentrate (BMC); addition of whey protein concentrate (BMC/WPC; 5.62%, w/v), single-heated polymerized whey protein (BMC/SPWP; 28%, w/v), and double-heated polymerized whey protein (BMC/DPWP; 28%, w/v). Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed that the highest percentage of freezable water in the water fraction and the lowest of unfreezable water was found in buttermilk cheese with WPC and buttermilk cheese with DPWP. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis showed that the relaxation times were longer in buttermilk cheese with WPC, compared to buttermilk cheese with SPWP and DPWP. Single heat treatment of whey proteins increased stickiness almost 3-fold, and double heat treatment had almost a 2-fold increase in work of shear of cheese samples. The calculated total color difference (ΔE) of the cheese samples suggested that those with polymerized whey protein may increase consumer acceptability.

2024, Biegalski, Jakub, Cais-Sokolińska, Dorota

This study analyses the possibility of changing the composition of the covering liquid in which mozzarella cheese is stored. The characterisation of mozzarella cheese consumed fresh and during later culinary use as a pizza topping was carried out. Mozzarella cheese from cow’s milk and reconstituted sheep’s milk were used for this study. The cheese was stored in whey-based covering liquid to which single or double amounts of lactose and/or citric acid (w/w) were added. The results obtained during laboratory analysis showed that the addition of lactose and/or citric acid to the covering liquid significantly impacted the mass of the cheese and the changes that can occur during later culinary use. The observed changes in the cheese during storage in the covering liquid were confirmed by the characteristics of the liquid itself. The smallest mass changes were related to cheeses stored in a covering liquid with double the amount of lactose and a single amount of citric acid. This cheese also displayed positive changes in all assessed descriptors (texture, melt, and colour). The amount of leachate from the cheese was small and occurred relatively late after unpacking and quartering. Based on the results of the study, changes made to the composition of the covering liquids can positively affect the characteristics of mozzarella cheese. Additionally, this data allows for the creation of specialised mozzarella cheeses that can pique the consumer’s interest.