Upcycling saffron floral by-products as sustainable ingredients for the development of a novel Pecorino-type cheese

ABSTRACT This study provides the first assessment of saffron floral by-products (SFP) as ingredients for the production of a novel raw ewe’s milk cheese. Three trials were conducted according to the Protected Designation of Origin Pecorino Siciliano manufacturing protocol. The experimental design included a control cheese (CPC), a cheese enriched with saffron stigma powder (SPC), and a cheese supplemented with SFP (SFPC). Saffron-derived ingredients did not affect microbial dynamics, with lactic acid bacteria counts exceeding 7 Log CFU/g and undesired microorganisms undetectable in 4-month ripened cheeses. Illumina sequencing revealed that Streptococcus thermophilus was the dominant species in all ripened cheeses, representing 60.37-71.45% of relative abundance. Physicochemical characteristics were comparable among cheeses, except for a higher yellowness ( b* ) in SPC. Incorporation of 3 g SFP/50 L milk reshaped the flavonoid fingerprint of cheese, increasing the relative abundance of apigenin (from 0.47% to 2.50%) and naringenin (from 1.46% to 4.76%). Despite these compositional changes, no differences ( p > 0.05) were detected in total phenolics (38.05-43.76 mg GAE/100 g FW) or antioxidant activity (DPPH, 46.23-55.62; FRAP, 30.50-31.89 μmol TE/100 g FW) among cheeses. Safranal was the predominant volatile compound, accounting for 72.3% and 52.4% of the total relative peak area in SPC and SFPC, respectively. Sensory evaluation demonstrated that SFPC received higher aroma intensity scores from the trained sensory panel without altering the characteristic sensory traits of Pecorino cheese. The results highlight the potential of SFP as sustainable and value-added ingredients for innovative cheeses, supporting dairy product diversification and circular valorization of saffron by-products.