Production of cheeses enriched with by-products from the food industry: focus on sheep’s milk cheeses processed with the addition of grape pomace in Sicily

Abstract

Cheese production is a very ancient activity. Recently, producers and consumers found a growing need for diversification of dairy products. Furthermore, the current regulations for the disposal of by-products and the increasing awareness for the sustainability of food productions have stimulated innovation in the dairy sector that mainly led to the development of cheeses enriched with functional ingredients. However, the innovation mainly involved the transformation of cow’s milk. Regarding sheep’s milk transformation, some products have been made using by-products of the food industries. This mini-review reports on dairy products made in Sicily with the use of by-products deriving from wineries. In addition to process and product innovation, this article also focuses on the sensory characteristics and antioxidant properties of the novel cheeses.