Influence of marine algae (Schizochytrium sp.) supplementation, ripening and vacuum packaging on goat cheese composition and fatty acid profile

The effect of diet (marine algae – MA; control – C), time of ripening (2 days, 4 and 8 weeks) and vacuum packaging on the composition and fatty acid (FA) profile of semi-hard cheese were evaluated in this study. Twenty-eight Alpine goats were housed indoors and randomly allocated to two groups: control group (C) was fed by 1500 g alfalfa hay and 600 g concentrate (n = 14); experimental group (MA) was fed by the same feed as C group supplemented 10 g/head/day Schizochytrium limacinum (n = 14). The study lasted 45 days, when milk samples were taken the last 10 days for their processing and analysis. Cheese samples (C: n = 15; MA: n = 25) were prepared from bulk milk from both groups and ripened. On day 2 of ripening, ten MA cheese samples were vacuum packed in foil. The semi-hard cheese samples were collected at 2nd day, then 4th and 8th weeks of ripening period. The MA supplementation did not significantly affect the composition of the milk. However, the MA supplementation had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on chemical composition of cheese, with the exception of fat content and fat content in TS. The supplementation of MA significantly (p < 0.05) increased the contents of DHA and rumenic acid in the cheese samples (MA group: 0.18 and 0.34 g/100 g, C group: 0.0 and 0.30 g/100 g of fatty acids (FA), respectively). The MA supplementation had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on contents of all odd- and branched-chain fatty acids in cheese, with the exception of C9:0. The ripening had significant (p < 0.05) influence on the rumenic acid (c9t11 C18:2) and alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3) content in the cheese. Vacuum packaging (VP) had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on the contents of fat, fat in TS and TS in cheese, while their contents were in all cases higher in unpackaged cheese. The VP also had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on the contents of most of monitored FAs in cheese.