The potential of Asparagus racemosus (shatavari) extract was evaluated in comparison with natural (rosemary, green tea) and synthetic (butylated hydroxyanisole, tert‐butyl hydroquinone) antioxidants, in ghee using accelerated oxidation tests. Its aqueous and ethanolic extracts significantly retarded deterioration of ghee relative to the control (without addition of synthetic or natural herb extract), as observed in peroxide value (8.3, 13.2 and 25.8 mmolO2/g fat respectively), conjugated diene% (1.30, 1.44 and 1.78, respectively), radical‐scavenging potential (40.0, 25 and 5.5% inhibition, respectively) and oxidative stability index (16.8, 13.5 and 10.3 h respectively) after 21 days. However, these were less effective than the natural and synthetic antioxidants. The ethanolic extract of shatavari, having polyphenol content of 24.99 ± 0.74 mg gallic acid equivalent/g, exhibited some antioxidative and radical‐scavenging activities.

The texture and microstructure of Kradi cheese, an indigenous fresh unripened cheese of Jammu and Kashmir, India, were studied. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) for hardness, adhesiveness, springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness and resilience between samples from four different market areas. The optimised products made in the laboratory from cultures NCDC‐167 and NCDC‐144 showed significant differences (P < 0.05) in the textural and mechanical properties of tensile strength. The microstructure of the market samples was distinguished by the greater size of the voids present in three‐dimensional casein network. The optimised laboratory product had a more compact and fibrous structure compared to the market samples, which was attributed to its higher protein content.