EFFECT OF ADDING SOLID AND MOLTEN CHOCOLATE ON THE POLYPHENOL CONTENT, CHEMICAL, TEXTURAL, MICROBIOLOGICAL AND SENSORY ASPECTS OF PECORINO SICILIANO CHEESE DURING AGING

In this project we used two specific food products, which are typically Sicilian, Pecorino Siciliano cheese and Modica chocolate, that have unique texture and taste. “Chocolate cheese” is produced with the aim of increasing the consumption of cheese especially among children, targeting the purpose of improving public health. In this research we investigated chocolate cheese including solid and molten chocolate in three levels of 5%, 10% and 15% at four ripening times (T0 = fresh, T1 = 2 weeks, T2 = 4 weeks and T3 = 6 weeks). The results showed that the addition of chocolate significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decreased the pH, ash and protein content of the Pecorino Siciliano cheese, whereas it had no…