Optimization of UF-Feta cheese preparation, enriched by peppermint extract

Strong antioxidant activity, antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, and some antiallergenic potential actions have been reported in peppermint. For daily acceptance of the benefits of this plant, UF-Feta cheese, enriched by whole peppermint extract, was prepared with different levels of Peppermint Extract (PE) (220-660 mu g/g cheese), starter (1.3-2.7 g/100 Kg retentate), rennet (1.3-2.5 g/100 Kg retentate), and Ripening Time (RT) (10-50 days). Simultaneous effects of the considered variables were also investigated on Water-soluble Phenolic Content (WSPC), Antioxidant Activity (AOA), and Sensory Score (SS) by means of Response surface methodology. The results showed that although rennet concentration had a little positive effect on WSPC, its effect on AOA was significantly negative. It was determined that PE had a crucial role in acceptance of cheese samples and showed a negative effect on SS. More maturation of produced cheese samples effectively increased AOA. It was found that for producing cheese with maximum SS and AOA, the optimum values of variables should be applied as follows: PE, 227 mu g/g cheese; starter, 2.7 g/100 Kg retentate; rennet, 1.3 g/100 Kg retentate; RT, 41.7 days.