Production and quality evaluation of soy cheese (tofu) using various coagulants

Food formulations that incorporate soy ingredients are being exploited as veritable alternatives. Cheese analogues are healthy alternatives to obtain the benefits of consuming functional foods. There is a need to enhance the production and quality of soy cheese. In this study, soy cheese (tofu) samples were prepared from soybean using four selected coagulants - Moringa oleifera seed extract (MC), tamarind seed extract (TC), lime juice (LC) and alum (AC). The effects of the coagulants on the physicochemical, microbial and sensory qualities of the soy cheese samples were evaluated. The results of the physical properties of the samples showed that MC had higher yield (12.84%) and acidity (0.37%), while AC had the highest values in hardness (84.55%) and dry matter (36.72%) content. The result of the proximate composition revealed that MC had the lowest moisture content (60.52 %) and the highest protein content (22.51%). The ash content of the soy cheese samples from plant coagulants MC (3.00%), TC (2.80%) and LC (3.5%) were lower than that of the alum coagulant AC (3.89%). The cheese from alum coagulant (AC) had more minerals than those from plant coagulants. TC had the highest vitamin C (2.69 mg/100 g), while MC had the highest vitamin B1 (6.07 mg/100 g) and B2 (29.21 mg/100 g) contents. There was no detection of coliform in the soy cheese samples. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the appearance and overall acceptability of MC sample and LC sample MC sample from Moringa oleifera seed extract coagulant had the highest sensory scores for flavour (8.35), texture (8.40) and overall acceptability (8.63). The results of quality properties of the cheese samples differed with the coagulants used. Moringa Oleifera coagulated cheese (MC) had superiority in nutrients and sensory qualities Hence, it is recommended for tofu production.