Study on Sensory Evaluation of Indian Cheese (Chhana) Prepared from Blend of Buffalo Milk and Soy Milk as during Storage

Abstract

Background: Chhana (Indian cheese) is a traditional acid-coagulated dairy product widely consumed in India. It is primarily prepared from buffalo milk due to its high total solids and superior yield. In recent years, blending dairy milk with plant-based sources such as soy milk has gained attention to enhance nutritional quality and develop value-added functional dairy products. Soy milk is rich in protein and bioactive compounds, which may improve the nutritional profile and acceptability of traditional dairy products. However, the effect of such blends on sensory quality during storage needs to be systematically evaluated. Aim: The study aims to evaluate the sensory quality of chhana prepared from different proportions of buffalo milk and soy milk using lactic acid and citric acid as coagulants during refrigerated storage. Method: The study was conducted in the laboratory of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, C.S.A. University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur. Chhana was prepared using four blends of buffalo milk and soy milk (100:0, 75:25, 50:50, and 25:75 v/v). Coagulation was carried out using lactic acid and citric acid at 1.5% concentration. The samples were stored at 5°C and evaluated at 0, 7, 14, and 21 days of storage. Sensory evaluation was performed for flavour, colour and appearance, body and texture, and overall acceptability using a standard sensory scoring method. Results: Among all treatment combinations, chhana prepared with a 75:25 buffalo milk and soy milk blend using lactic acid (1.5%) at 0 days of storage (A2B1C1) recorded the highest overall sensory score (8.133). This was followed by A2B2C1 (8.100), while lower scores were observed in higher soy milk proportions such as A3B1C1 (7.167), A3B2C1 (7.300), A4B1C1 (6.367), and A4B2C1 (6.133). A decline in sensory scores was observed with increasing soy milk proportion and extended storage period. Conclusion: It may be concluded that incorporation of 25% soy milk in buffalo milk improves the sensory acceptability of chhana. The 75:25 buffalo milk to soy milk blend with lactic acid coagulation produced the most acceptable product. Therefore, buffalo–soy milk blended chhana can be considered a nutritionally enriched and acceptable value-added dairy product.