The objective of the present study was to utilize whey and permeate as the by-products of the cheese industry after mixing with kumquat purée and/or paste for producing functional beverages. Physical, chemical, physicochemical, microbiological and sensory properties of kumquat fruit and its purée and paste were studied. The results indicated that kumquat purée and paste are good sources of β-carotene, vitamin C, minerals such as calcium, potassium and magnesium, total phenolic acids and flavonoids. In addition, they have high antioxidant capacity. Physicochemical, microbiological and sensory properties of the prepared functional beverages during cold storage periods were determined. The obtained results indicated that ascorbic acid and β-carotene of all beverages were higher than those of whey and permeate only, with a high level of total phenols, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity. Generally, sensory evaluation of the prepared beverages showed that the addition of purée and paste of kumquat fruit to whey and permeate increased the overall acceptability of these beverages. Total count was in permissible limit while the coliform and moulds & yeasts counts were not detected in all beverages during storage at 4±1°C for 28 days. Beverages containing purée and paste of kumquat fruit could be recommended as new acceptable functional products.

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The present study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, antioxidant activity, antimicrobial properties and the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of three essential oils extracted from cumin, rosemary and thyme and their mixture and their effect on physicochemical, microbial, rheological and sensorial attributes of ultrafiltrated (UF)-soft cheese. UF-soft cheese was prepared from UF milk retentate with adding 0.1% of these essential oils. The results revealed that the different essential oils had remarkable antimicrobial effect on the growth of Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), Bacillus cereus (B. cereus), and Aspergillus niger (A. niger). Among essential oils, thyme oil had the highest antioxidant activity and antimicrobial effect. Addition of essential oils appeared to affect cheese pH and total volatile fatty acid content during storage period, while total solids and fat contents were slightly affected. Addition of essential oils to retentate resulted in an increment in antioxidant activity and decreased the total bacterial count compared with the control cheese. Sensory evaluation revealed that UF-soft cheese containing essential oils remained acceptable even at the end of storage period. Adding cumin essential oil to UF-soft cheese gained the highest scores for the sensorial attributes. The results concluded that a concentration of 0.1% of essential oils extracted from cumin, rosemary or thyme or their mixture can be used to extend the shelf life of UF-soft cheese for up to 28 days. These essential oils could be successfully used as natural and safe additives in production of UF-soft cheese.

Doum (Hyphaene thebaica) fruit, and doum-fruit flour (DFF) were studied in terms of physicohemical properties as well as technological processing to prepare biscuits, crackers and pudding containing DFF. Chemical composition showed that DFF possessed low contents of crude protein and crude ether extract being, 2.87 and 0.76%, respectively. Non reducing sugars represented about (91.94 %) of the total sugars (43.70%). The DFF could be considered as a good source of minerals (K, Ca, Na, and Mg). The results also indicated that DFF had very good values in terms of dietary fiber, total phenolic content, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity in addition to some vitamins such as B 3 , B 6 and B 1. The edible portion of doum fruits (DFF) was used to formulate some functional foods. The organoleptic properties of biscuits and crackers containing DFF up to 20% and budding up to 50% showed that generally all the treatments were well accepted by the panelists.