Preparation and evaluation of pizza cheese made from blend of vetch-bovine milk

The objective of the study was to develop vetch-bovine milk (VBM) pizza cheese low in animal fat and its acceptability was determined through physico-chemical, functional and sensory evaluations. Vetch (Lathyrus sativus) was detoxified by steeping in double its quantity of water for 8 h at 70 °C, changing the water seven times, draining and sun drying. Dried vetch was then treated with water at pH 4.0 at 90 °C for 60 min to deplete the beany flavour, then dried and milled into fine flour with Quadrumate Senior mill. The seed coat was separated as one of the mill fractions. Four types of VBM blends were prepared from vetch flour and bovine skimmed milk powder and were used to prepare cheese using 2.5% lactic acid bacterial culture of Streptococcus thermophillus and Streptococcus bulgaricus and rennet (0.15 mL L−1, 1:40 ratio with water). The cheese was stored at 4 °C for 14 days and used as topping over the pizza shell. Physico-chemical analyses, such as moisture, total solids, lactose, ash, fat, titratable acidity and pH, and sensory evaluations of both cheese and pizza were carried out at 0-, 7- and 14-day intervals. The stretchability and meltability of cheese increased significantly (P < 0.05) during storage. Commercial Mozzarella cheese was taken as a control. The results of this study suggested that VBM blend at the ratio of 12.5:87.5 (vetch flour:bovine milk powder) could be utilised to prepare a cheese of desirable characteristics for pizza topping.