Comparative Evaluation of Cheese samples treated with Honey and Thyme solutions

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of honey and thyme solutions in extending the shelf life and enhancing the nutritional and sensory qualities of Wara, the West African soft cheese. The control treatment (A) was cheese kept in the whey, while Treatments B and C were
cheese samples kept in Thyme and Honey solutions respectively. The experiment lasted for 11days. The results, analyzed using completely randomized design model revealed a numerically higher value for aroma and texture for cheese treated with thyme solution, followed closely by cheese samples treated with Honey solution, while the least was the control (Treatment A).There was no significant difference in the dry matter content among all the Treatments (p>0.05).The crude protein was significantly higher (p<0.05) for Treatment B, then treatment A and least for
treatment C. The ether extract followed the same trend as crude protein. The Microbial assay showed treatment C having lowest bacterial count, followed by the control (A), then B. It could be concluded that Treatment of West African soft cheese with Honey solution is more promising for
enhancing the nutritional quality and extending the shelf life of soft cheese.

Key words: Cheese, thyme, honey, proximate composition, microbial assay, sensory quality.