EFFECTS OF PULSED LIGHT ON PHYSICOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION, TEXTURE PROPERTIES, AND MINERAL BIOACCESSIBILITY OF MINAS FRESCAL CHEESE

Pulsed light (PL) has emerged as a non-thermal technology with promising applications in dairy processing due to its ability to inactivate microorganisms while minimizing thermal damage to food matrices, making it particularly relevant for improving safety and shelf life. However, its effects on physicochemical properties and nutritional quality of fresh cheeses remain poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of PL treatments (4, 8, and 16 pulses equivalent to 6.24, 12.48, and 24.96 J/cm², respectively) on the proximate composition, texture properties (hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness), lipid oxidation (malonaldehyde content), and mineral (calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and phosphorus (P)) bioaccessibility of Minas Frescal cheese (MFC). No significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in moisture, protein, and lipid content among treatments, indicating that PL did not affect the proximate composition of MFC. Increasing the number of PL pulses significantly reduced (p < 0.05) water activity values (from 0.975 to 0.972). In addition, malonaldehyde content increased (p < 0.05) in PL-treated samples compared to the control treatment (from 0.14 to 0.21 mg/kg of malonaldehyde), indicating lipid oxidation induced by PL exposure. Texture profile results revealed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in hardness (from 3.58 to 2.58 N), gumminess (from 2.78 to 2.04), and chewiness (from 2.47 to 1.78 N) with increasing number of PL pulses, suggesting structural effects. Regarding nutritional aspects, total mineral content (Ca, Mg, and P) increased (p < 0.05) in PL-treated samples, however, Ca bioaccessibility decreased substantially (from 66 to 38%), indicating that PL may alter mineral-protein interactions and reduce nutrient availability. These findings demonstrate that although PL preserves proximate composition, it significantly affects structural, oxidative, and nutritional properties of MFC. Therefore, optimization of PL processing parameters is essential to balance technological benefits and product quality.