Investigation of the Effects of Blueberry Powder on the Ripening of Turkish White Cheese

This study aims to enrich Turkish white cheese with blueberry powder, owing to its exceptional bioactive properties, to enhance its functionality. Five cheese samples were prepared by adding different concentrations [0 (control), 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2%] of blueberry powder to the cheese curd. The cheese samples were ripened in vacuum packages for 90 days at 7±1°C. The pH, dry matter, salt, fat, total protein, titration acidity, water-soluble nitrogen, ripening index, electrophoretic casein fractions, color and sensory analyses were performed on the 3rd, 30th, 60th, and 90th days of ripening period. The data obtained were compared in terms of cheese types and ripening times. The addition of blueberry powder to cheese curd and the storage time affected the pH values significantly (p<0.05). Similarly, the addition of blueberry increased the titratable acidity values of white cheese and the differences in acidity between cheese samples were found to be significant (p<0.05). The highest decrease in the amount of αS1-casein was recorded in C2 (1% blueberry added cheese) samples and the least decrease was in the control group cheeses. Color analysis indicated that the L value was reduced with increasing concentrations of blueberry addition because of darkening. In conclusion, blueberry added Turkish white cheese could be produced as an alternative dairy product with acceptable sensory properties.