Effect of dietary cold-pressed hempseed cake on the fatty acid profile of semi-hard cheese made from goat milk

Recently, many feedstuffs have been introduced to animal diets to increase the content of beneficial fatty acids in dairy products. Therefore, this study aimed to research the effect of including hempseed cake in dairy goats concentrate mixtures on the chemical composition and fatty acid profile of semi-hard goat cheese that is traditionally produced on family farm. The feeding of goats was based on meadow hay ad libitum and 1200 g/day/head of concentrate mixture. In the first experimental group, 60 g/kg DM of hempseed cake (HSC-60) was administered; meanwhile, in the second experimental group, 120 g/kg DM of hempseed cake (HSC-120) was included in the diet. The chemical composition of cheese was mostly unaffected by enriching the goats’ nutrition with hempseed cakes. Dietary HSC-120 increased C18:1 n-9 and C18:3 n-6 compared to the control, and increased C22:6 n-3 in cheese compared to HSC- 60, although both HSC-120 and HSC-60 lowered n-6/n-3 ratios in cheese. Feeding goats with HSC-120 may have contributed to the development of the functional properties of semi-hard goat cheese made on family farm, as compared to the cheese produced by goats fed with commercial concentrate mixtures.