Development of a new recipe of vegetarian cheese using white beans

Abstract

The development of plant-based alternatives to dairy products is part of a global dietary transition driven by concerns for sustainability, health, and ethics. This thesis explores the development of a fermented vegetarian cheese made from white beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), a local legume rich in proteins, fibers, and bioactive compounds. Selected as a milk substitute, white beans offer a valuable nutritional profile, particularly due to their lysine content, which complements cereal-based diets in plant-based nutrition. The objective was to formulate a plant-based cheese by combining cooked white beans with functional ingredients such as coconut oil, cashew oil, probiotic cultures, and agar-agar. The process followed four main stages: preparation of the plant-based base, controlled fermentation, texturing with agar-agar, and final molding and cooling. This approach aims to produce a cheese that is both nutritionally balanced and sensorially acceptable, thereby contributing to sustainable and health-oriented food innovation. Physicochemical analyses of the final plant-based cheese revealed a moisture content of 65.34%, a total dry extract of 60.40%, a pH of 5.12 at 20 °C, an ash content of 1.40%, an acidity of 0.44%, and a fiber content of 0.59%. The protein content is 6.5 g/100 g, positioning it between traditional fresh dairy cheeses (8–12 g/100 g) and commercial plant-based analogues (1–4 g/100 g). The lipid profile reaches 15 g/100 g, due to the addition of coconut oil and oleaginous seeds, while carbohydrates are estimated at 12 g/100 g. The overall energy value is estimated at 209 kcal/100 g. In addition, a microbiological analysis was carried out on five samples of the plant-based cheese. The results showed a total absence of Salmonella spp. in 25 g, following current standards (Official Journal No. 39, 02-07-2017). The Escherichia coli load ranged from 10⁰ to 10² CFU/g, depending on the sample, occasionally exceeding the regulatory threshold set at 10³ CFU/g. As for coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus, the observed values ranged from 150 to 180 CFU/g. Finally, a hedonic test was conducted with 30 untrained tasters to assess the sensory acceptability of the final product. Each panelist rated the appearance, texture, odor, taste, and overall appreciation of the plant-based cheese using a 9-point Likert scale. The results revealed good overall acceptability, with an average score of 7.1/9 for taste and 7.4/9 for texture, confirming the sensory potential of the developed plant-based cheese.