Frederic Melton
Algae, categorised into macroalgae and microalgae, are nutrient-dense aquatic plants with promising applications in the food industry. They are rich in proteins, soluble fibres, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. Algae have been used in various food products, including dairy, to enhance nutritional profiles and textural properties. This paragraph aims to explore the use of algae in the production of cheese and yoghurt, highlighting the benefits and challenges of incorporating this aquatic plant into these dairy products.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Use of algae in cheese and yogurt | Algae is added to cheese and yogurt to enhance the viability of probiotics. |
| Algae type | Microalgae |
| Algae content | Higher algae content decreases yogurt palatability. |
| Effect on sensory attributes | The incorporation of microalgae negatively affects the sensory attributes of dairy products. |
| Effect on nutritional value | Cheese with microalgae has enhanced antioxidant capacity due to high phenolic and carotenoid contents. |
| Effect on texture | Yogurt supplemented with microalgae shows an increase in gel hardness. |
| Effect on acidity | Adding C. vulgaris at concentrations of ≤1.0% results in increased acidity without affecting pH levels significantly. |
| Effect on melting time | Fortification with microalgal biomass reduces melting time in ice cream. |
| Effect on colour | Microalgal biomass replaces artificial dyes with natural dyes in ice cream. |
| Algae-based cheese substitute | Microalgae-based cheese substitute is a dairy-free product that mimics natural Cheddar cheese. |
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What You'll Learn
Algae as a protein-rich food ingredient
Algae is a promising and sustainable protein-rich food ingredient with a wide range of applications in the food industry. It is a valuable source of essential bioactive compounds, including protein, pigments, carbohydrates, vitamins, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The protein content in algae can reach up to 55-60% in some cyanobacteria, making it a significant source of protein.
Algae can be incorporated into various food products to enhance their nutritional profile and textural properties. It has been used in bakery and dairy products, such as cookies, bread, yogurt, snacks, soups, and cheese. The addition of algae biomass can increase the protein content in these products and improve their textural and nutritional value. For example, studies have shown that the incorporation of algae species like Arthrospira can increase the protein content in cheddar cheese and toasted bread.
Algae proteins have good nutritional value due to their high protein content, amino acid purity, and nutritional acceptability. They share similar functional properties with terrestrial plants, such as the ability to gel, absorb water and fat, emulsify, and foam. This makes algae a versatile ingredient in food processing, where it can be used as a gelling agent, texture enhancer, and vegan egg substitute.
Microalgae, such as Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) and Chlorella vulgaris, are particularly notable for their high protein content, ranging from 50 to 60%. They are also rich in essential amino acids and vitamin B12, making them excellent vegan protein sources. The quality and quantity of protein in these microalgae are comparable to traditional protein sources like milk, soy, yeast, chickpeas, and meat.
In addition to their nutritional benefits, algae have the advantage of being sustainable and environmentally friendly. They require significantly less land area compared to other animal-based and plant-based protein sources. This makes algae a promising solution to meet the growing demand for sustainable and nutritious protein sources, especially with the rise of plant-based meat alternatives.
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Algae's effect on the texture of yoghurt
Algae have been added to dairy products such as cheese, cream, milk desserts, yoghurt, cottage cheese, and processed cheese. The addition of microalgae to dairy products results in changes in their physicochemical properties, namely protein content and pH.
Microalgae have been added to yoghurt to enhance its nutritional, rheological, sensory, and functional qualities. The addition of microalgae to yoghurt has been shown to decrease yoghurt syneresis, which is considered a favourable effect. Yoghurt fortified with fresh and dried Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) has been shown to have different textural properties.
The interaction between the intrinsic properties of the algal biomass and the milk components plays a fundamental role in determining the final product characteristics. The addition of microalgae to yoghurt can affect the perceived texture, consistency, and sensory acceptability.
A newly invented vortex fluidic device (VFD) has been used to encapsulate algae oil with a smaller particle size and better stability. Yoghurt with VFD-encapsulated algae oil demonstrated a smoother microstructure with a smoother surface and fewer voids. This resulted in a more pleasant mouthfeel, faster flavour exposure, and a creamier texture.
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Algae's impact on the nutritional value of cheese
Algae have been used in the food industry as food supplements and functional food additions. They are added to meat products, fish, and oils, and are used to improve the quality of cereal-based products such as pasta and bread. Due to their functional properties, they are also added to fermented products, especially dairy products, such as cheese, cream, milk desserts, yoghurt, cottage cheese, and processed cheese.
Algae are divided into two categories based on cellular structure: macroalgae, also known as seaweeds, and microalgae, which are tiny eukaryotic organisms. Both types of algae are nutrient-dense, offering essential amino acids and bioactive compounds, making them a promising solution for the growing demand for sustainable protein sources.
Algae have been recognised as a way to improve the nutritional profile of cheese. The addition of algae can improve the antioxidant activity, reduce weight loss, and increase the shelf life of fresh cheese. For example, the incorporation of the microalga Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) into fresh cheese has been shown to increase the Zn and Cu mass fractions, and the cream cheese with 4% C. vulgaris can state the nutritional claim "source of Fe". The addition of C. vulgaris has also been shown to increase the firmness and decrease the oil separation indexes of cheese. Furthermore, increasing the concentration of C. vulgaris leads to an increase in pH and meltability of spread cheeses.
The incorporation of algae into cheese can also improve its textural and nutritional value. Different studies have revealed an increase in the protein content of certain cheese products like cheddar cheese after the incorporation of algae species such as Arthrospira. The addition of algae to cheese can also improve its sensory profile, with promising sensory results, especially with a purchase intention index of 72% and 76% for cream cheese samples with 2% and 4% microalgal incorporation, respectively.
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Algae's role in enhancing the viability of probiotics in milk and yoghurt
The popularity of fermented dairy products such as cheese and yoghurt has increased in recent years due to their health-promoting effects. The addition of microalgae to these products has been studied as a way to develop innovative and added-value hybrid products.
Algae is a broad term for photosynthetic and aquatic organisms, which are categorised into two types based on size: macroalgae (large, multicellular) and microalgae (small, unicellular). Both types of algae are nutrient-dense, offering essential amino acids and bioactive compounds. They also have gelling, thickening, and stabilising properties.
When it comes to yoghurt, maintaining the viability of probiotic bacteria is critical to ensuring its health-improving properties. Several methods have been adopted to enhance the viability of probiotic bacteria in yoghurt, including microencapsulation and prebiotic addition. Algae can play a role in enhancing the viability of probiotics in yoghurt by supporting the growth of probiotic bacteria.
There are two main ways to add microalgal biomass to yoghurt: adding it to the milk before fermentation or adding it to the final product after fermentation. The choice of approach can affect the physicochemical, sensory, and mechanical characteristics of the yoghurt. For example, algae can improve the firmness, cohesiveness, and water-holding capacity of yoghurt, as well as enhance its texture and colour.
In addition to yoghurt, algae have also been studied for their potential benefits in cheese. The incorporation of microalgal biomass can affect the physicochemical properties of cheese, such as increasing protein values and reducing pH levels. Overall, the addition of algae to dairy products can enhance their nutritional content and improve their sensory, nutritional, and functional characteristics.
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Algae as a substitute for dairy products
Algae, both macro and microalgae, are nutrient-dense, offering essential amino acids and bioactive compounds, making them a promising solution for the growing demand for sustainable protein sources. They are rich in proteins, soluble fibres, polysaccharides, lipids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, pigments, vitamins, and minerals.
Algae have been used as an additive in milk and yoghurt to enhance the viability of probiotics. For instance, adding C. vulgaris at concentrations of 1% or lower resulted in increased acidity and redox potential without significantly impacting pH levels. However, the sensory attributes, including oral texture, mouthfeel, appearance, and non-oral texture, were negatively affected.
The incorporation of algae in yoghurt is a complex process that must consider the many properties that can affect the sensory quality of the final product. For instance, an increase in the concentration of A. platensis in yoghurt leads to an increase in gel hardness due to the high protein content of the algae.
In cheese, the addition of microalgae has been found to increase antioxidant capacity due to the high phenolic and carotenoid contents in the microalgal biomass. It also increases firmness and decreases oil separation indexes. However, the sensory attributes of dairy products are negatively affected by the incorporation of microalgae, which is a major constraint that requires further research.
Algae proteins can be produced sustainably without competing for agricultural land, and their remarkable functional properties such as solubility, emulsification, foaming, gelation, and colouring make them a viable substitute for dairy products.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, algae are used in making cheese and yogurt. Algae have been used as an additive for milk and yogurt to enhance the viability of probiotics.
Both microalgae and macroalgae are used in making cheese and yogurt.
Adding algae to cheese and yogurt increases their nutritional value. For example, cheese with microalgae has enhanced antioxidant capacity due to high phenolic and carotenoid contents.
The sensory attributes of dairy products are negatively affected by the incorporation of microalgae. This includes the product's flavor, aroma, and texture.
Other dairy products that contain algae include fermented milk powder, kefir, buttermilk, and Labenah.
