Sensory and physicochemical evaluation of pasty dulce de leche containing different concentrations of whey

Abstract

Cheese production generates whey as a byproduct, but most of dairy companies discard it without the correct treatment for this residue, creating a large environmental impact. Dulce de leche is a dairy dessert of great importance for the Brazilian economy and, therefore, the use of whey as a partial replacement of milk is a preponderant factor in the increase of the profitability of these industries, and the reduction of the environmental problems related. Therefore, the objective of this work was to understand the influence on the organoleptic characteristics of the partial substitution of whole milk by whey in dulce de leche formulations and to determine their physicochemical characteristics. Six formulations with different concentrations of whey were developed for further sensorial evaluation of the attributes of appearance, taste, texture, aroma, and overall impression, as well as the ideal test for sweet taste and consistency and purchase intention. The physicochemical analyses were done considering moisture, protein, texture, °Brix, lipids, colorimetry, and pH. From the analysis of the results, it was observed that the most accepted formulations of dulce de leche were the 3 and 4, with partial replacement of milk by 33,33% and 41,67%, respectively. Considering these results, we can affirm that the partial substitution of milk by whey is a viable alternative within the range comprised by the most accepted samples.