Potentials of Coconut Milk as a Substitute for Cow Milk in Cheese Making

Aim: The project aimed at producing cheese products by partial substitution of cow milk with coconut milk and evaluating the nutrient content and sensory properties of the products.

Experimental Design: The experimental design was a randomized complete block (RCBD).

Methodology: This experiment was conducted at the University of Uyo, Nigeria. Coconut milk was extracted with water (1:1 ratio) and mixed with fresh raw cow milk at varying proportions (10:90; 20:80; 30:70). The control was 100% cow milk. They were used to produce cheese. The control and the partially substituted cheeses were stored in a refrigerator and examined for sensory quality, microbial quality and nutrient composition.

Results: The yield of cheese showed significant (p< 0.05) decrease from 27.20% (control sample) to 15.30% in the cheese product containing 30% coconut milk. No coliforms were found in the fermented products suggesting that they were safe for consumption. The protein content of the cow-coconut cheese blends increased (p < 0.05) from 15.82% to17.14% (at 10%-30% substitution of coconut milk), while the control sample had 15.11%. There was also an increase in fat content from 12.06 - 13.87% (10% - 30% substitution of coconut milk), with the control sample having 11.65%. There was a decrease in the carbohydrate content of the cheese blends which ranged between 12.44% -0.54%, with the control sample having 16.64%. There was a significant decrease (p<0.05) in the ash content of the cow-coconut cheese blends, with the control sample having 1.80% ash. There was no significant difference observed in the colour, taste, texture, and overall acceptability as influenced by addition of coconut milk. The blend with 10% coconut milk and 90% cow milk was most acceptable by panelists in terms of aroma. Acceptable cheeses with improved nutritional value and consumer acceptability could be made from 1:9 ratio of coconut milk and cow milk.