Making a fresh cheese using the colostrum surplus of dairy farms: an alternative aiming to minimize the waste of this raw material

Abstract

This study aimed to make and characterize a fresh cheese using the surplus of bovine colostrum from dairy farms. The bovine colostrum was characterized in terms of fat (4.00%), protein (16.30%), moisture (79.68%), ash (0.95%), minerals, pH (6.32), titratable acidity (0.27 g/100 mL), immunoglobulin G (>50 g/L), lactose (1.60%), color, and the presence of pathogenic bacteria. The fresh cheese made with colostrum was characterized in the same terms as the bovine colostrum (fat (7.00%), protein (22.95%), moisture (67.98%), ash (1.85%), minerals, pH (6.15), titratable acidity (0.04 g/100 mL), immunoglobulin G (30.95 g/L), lactose (not detectable), color, and the presence of pathogenic bacteria), with the addition of the texture and sensory analysis. The colostrum cheese had high moisture content (67.98%) and low-fat content (7.00%). The protein content was also high (22.95%), whose major percentage was composed by immunoglobulins. An important finding in this work was associated with the possible absence of lactose in the colostrum cheese, thus opening opportunities for future research regarding the development of dairy products for lactose intolerant consumers. In addition, the high concentration of immunoglobulin G might give this product an immune boost feature. The sensorial analysis showed that the recipe of the fresh cheese requires improvement to achieve higher acceptance from the public, especially regarding texture.