Journal Article

Red Onion Peel Powder as a Functional Ingredient for Manufacturing Ricotta Cheese

Rațu, Roxana Nicoleta, Veleșcu, Ionuț Dumitru, Motrescu, Iuliana, Usturoi, Marius Giorgi, Stoica, Florina, Cârlescu, Petru Marian, Lipșa, Florin Daniel, Râpeanu, Gabriela

2024

Overview

Onion (Allium cepa L.) is a vegetable widely cultivated and consumed due to its rich content in bioactive compounds. Red onion peel (ROP) powder, which is a by-product derived from the onion industry, has been attracting significant interest as a potential functional ingredient for improving the overall quality of foods. The present study explores the potential of ROP powder as a functional ingredient to improve the quality and nutritional value of whey cheese. Despite being frequently viewed as a food processing waste byproduct, ROP is a rich source of bioactive substances, including antioxidants, flavonoids, and dietary fiber, having antioxidant and antibacterial effects. The ROP extract exhibited high amounts of total polyphenols (119.69 ± 2.71 mg GAE/g dw) and antioxidant activity (82.35 ± 1.05%). Different quantities (1 and 3%) of ROP powder were added to cheese formulations, and the subsequent impact on the texture characteristics, sensory attributes, and phytochemical composition of the value-added cheeses was evaluated. The findings show that the addition of ROP powder improved the texture and the color of the cheeses, providing a visually appealing product. Additionally, adding the ROP powder significantly raised the amount of phytochemicals and antioxidant activity (17.08 ± 0.78 µmol TE/g dw for RCROP1, 24.55 ± 0.67 µmol TE/g dw for RCROP2) in the final product’s formulation. Moreover, adding powder to cheese is an effective way to increase the value of onion by-products and produce polyphenol-enriched cheese.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: Acids / Allium cepa / anthocyanins / Antibacterial activity / antioxidant activity / Antioxidants / Bioactive compounds / Biological activity / By products / Byproducts / Cheese / Chemical composition / chemical constituents of plants / Circular economy / color / Dairy industry / Dairy products / Dietary fiber / Flavonoids / Food / Food processing / Food quality / Food waste / Formulations / Functional foods & nutraceuticals / industry / ingredients / Isoflavones / Manufacturing / Moisture content / natural ingredients / Nutritive value / onion peels / Onions / Phytochemicals / Polyphenols / Powder / red onion powder / Ricotta cheese / Sensory properties / Sodium / Texture / value added / value-added products / Vegetable industry / Vegetables / whey cheeses