Enhancing the microbial and sensory qualities of soft cheese using black seed oil

This study explored enhancing soft cheese quality by incorporating varying concentrations of Black Seed Oil (Habat Al-barakah) at 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% (v/w). Fresh cow milk from Menoufia University, Egypt, was used to produce soft cheese supplemented with Black Seed Oil (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% w/w) alongside a control. The cheese was manufactured following pasteurization (80°C/30 min) and stored at 4°C for 28 days. Physicochemical properties were analyzed using AOAC methods, while sensory evaluation and microbiological analysis, including total bacterial count, coliforms, S. aureus, and yeasts/molds. There were significant (P≤0.05) variations in chemical composition between the control and treated cheese samples, particularly notable in the sample with 1.5% oil. Adding black seed oil increased cheese acidity from 0.25% in control to 0.33% in the 1.5% oil-treated cheese at a fresh time, and a consistent increase was observed in all samples during refrigerated storage. Microbiological investigations revealed that soft cheese treatments enriched with black seed oil exhibited the lowest total bacterial count, yeast, and mold. Coliform groups and staphylococci were undetected in all soft cheese treatments and controls. Panelists positively acknowledged the taste of soft cheese with a higher concentration of black cumin oil (1.5%), with no complaints about appearance and flavor. Interestingly, the panelists favored the texture of soft cheese with a higher percentage of oil, ultimately leading to the highest overall acceptability for the 1.5% oil-treated cheese.