Effect of Chia or Black Seeds Supplementation on Textural, Antioxidant and Sensory Properties of Gouda Cheese

Gouda cheese is the most popular Dutch semihard cheese. The aim of this study was to produce and evaluate changes in the physiochemical, microbiological, and sensory qualities of Gouda cheese supplemented with 1.5 g/L black or chia seeds as an antioxidant source during three months of ripening period at 14°C. The chemical composition analysis, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AA) by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, and organic acid content were evaluated for all cheese treatments during the ripening period of 90 days at 14°C. Moreover, the microbiological, rheological, and organoleptic characteristics of the resulting Gouda cheese were analyzed. Black seed (BS) or chia seed (CS) addition resulted in a considerable increase in TPC (68.86±0.10-2.48±0.25 µg GAE/g), AA, measured as DPPH (30.48±0.32-42.58±0.38%), and FRAP (8.90±0.16-11.72±0.27 mmol FeSO4/g), respectively. The addition of CS caused a significant increase in the organic acids content such as lactic, propionic, acetic, succinic, and formic acids in Gouda cheese. There was a decrease in the number of yeast and mold in BS or CS Gouda cheese compared to the control. The texture profile of cheese showed that CS Gouda cheese had lower hardness and gumminess than control cheese, with opposite trends for other textural parameters. The addition of black or chia seeds improved all sensory attributes of Gouda cheese during ripening period for 90 days at 14°C.