Chemical composition and sensory characteristics of Feta cheese fortified with iron and ascorbic acid

International audienceAbstractFeta cheese is an excellent source of calcium and protein, but as typical dairy products, it contains very low amount of iron. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of iron fortification on quality of Feta cheese. The cheese samples were made from cow milk and fortified with iron compounds, namely ferrous sulfate (FeSO4), ferric chloride (FeCl3), and microencapsulated ferrous sulfate at level of 80 mg.kg−1 with or without l-ascorbic acid at a level of 150 mg.kg−1. The chemical compositions, free fatty acids (FFAs), calcium, iron, oxidation products, and the sensory aspects of the treatments were evaluated. The FFAs were determined by gas chromatography, iron, and calcium were determined by atomic absorption, and oxidation products were analyzed spectrophotometrically using the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was found between chemical composition (fat, moisture, protein, ash, acidity), FFAs, and calcium of control cheeses and iron or iron-ascorbic acid fortified cheeses. Iron content was significantly different in iron or iron and ascorbic acid fortified cheeses compared to that in control ones. The treatment fortified with microencapsulated iron and ascorbic acid showed the lowest TBA value and the best scores for sensory evaluation. Results demonstrated that fortification of cheese with 80 mg.kg−1 microencapsulated iron and 150 mg.kg−1l-ascorbic acid is technically feasible. Only a small increase in lipid oxidation, measured by TBA value, was caused by iron fortification; however, no significant off-flavor was detected by trained sensory panelists