Formulation and Characterization of Lentil Milk–Based Soft Cheese Analogs: Insights on Physicochemical and Textural Properties

ABSTRACTLentil milk–based soft cheese (LBC) is one of the emerging partial substitutes for animal milk‐based cheese. With time, more people want to reduce their meat and dairy intake for ethical, environmental, and chronic health–related concerns. This study focused on the formulation of LBC using milk extracted from green gram (S1 (6.5 g) of proteins), red gram (S2 (5 g) proteins), and black gram (S3 (3.5 g) proteins). All formulated LBC samples were investigated by determining proximate analysis, syneresis, viscosity, texture, color change, storage time, microbial count, and sensory attributes to evaluate the quality during 15 days of storage. The results reported that pH levels decreased for both S1 and S3, while S2 showed an increasing trend from Day 1 to Day 15. Viscosity and syneresis increased from Days 1 to 15 in S1, S2, and S3. Moreover, assessment of storage stability showed significant changes (p < 0.05) in the microbial count for S1 (7.89–4.98 CFU/mL), S2 (2.88–9.68 CFU/mL), and S3 (1.39–7.09 CFU/mL) from Day 1 to Day 15. The puncture force test reported that S1 showed a decreasing trend while S2 and S3 showed an increasing trend. The color attributes also showed a rising trend across all LBC samples. For sensory evaluation, LBC prepared using green gram showed the highest scores, particularly in appearance, texture, and color. Overall findings concluded the potential of lentil milk as a suitable ingredient for plant‐based soft cheese production, offering a new nutritious option for consumers with dietary preferences or restrictions.