DESENVOLVIMENTO DE “QUEIJO VEGETAL” CREMOSO PROBIÓTICO A BASE DE AMENDOIM (Arachis hypogaea)

Abstract

In Brazil, lactose intolerance can reach 70% of the adult population and is related to the inability of the body to produce lactose, the enzyme responsible for lactose breakdown, which causes intestinal discomfort during digestion. A major obstacle for this group of consumers is the purchase of lactose-free products due to the high cost compared to traditional foods. Cheeses are products obtained from milk, considered an important nutritional source, and are widely studied as vehicles for incorporation of probiotics. The objective of this work was to develop peanut-based probiotic creamy “vegetable cheese” formulations and characteristics as to physicochemical, microbiological, sensory and texture parameters. In sum, probiotic viability over the 18 days of refrigerated storage was evaluated. Two formulations were elaborated: one product obtained from the peanut using the whole content together with the fibers (FB) and another with the "milk" of the vegetable (FA), both received addition of commercial probiotic culture. The physicochemical analyzes of the FA product presented higher values of lipids (26.33 ± 0.3078%), proteins (22.15 ± 0.1509%) and carbohydrates (3.44%), while the FB formulation presented the highest values. higher fiber content (4.67 ± 0.0069%). The formulations presented hygienic-sanitary quality during storage, except for mold and yeast after 18 days of manufacture. Probiotic viability during storage was 2.6 x108 ± 2 x 107 (FA) and 3.5 x 108 ± 2 x 107 CFU/g, demonstrating excellent probiotic and functional potential of the products. Some instrumental texture parameters (TPA) stood out. Thus, the adhesiveness and hardness of FB cheeses were significantly higher than that of FA in all storage periods (p <0.05), in agreement with the higher fiber content composition of this formulation. Both formulations presented acceptance rate above 70% in the attributes related to appearance, color, taste, texture and overall impression after sensory evaluation. The purchase intention of the FA sample (39.60%) was higher. Thus, it is concluded that peanut-based “vegetable cheeses”, besides being an alternative for lactose intolerants, have potential for commercialization and offer benefits to consumer health.