CHIA, QUINOA, AND FLAX SEEDS AS FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS IN CURD-BASED SPREADS

In recent years, Ukraine has experienced a steady increase in demand for preventive and health-promoting foods, whose functional effects are aimed at preventing the development of common chronic diseases. To impart health-enhancing, therapeutic, or prophylactic properties to food products, their formulations include raw materials enriched with biologically active compounds–such as vitamins, minerals, polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, amino acids, dietary fibers, and probiotic cultures.Milk and dairy products hold leading positions in the functional food segment and demonstrate the most dynamic development due to their high content of biologically active substances capable of improving health and supporting physiological functions. The trends in the dairy industry over recent years have been analyzed, including the impact of the war on overall milk and dairy production, the dynamics of product assortment changes, and the prospects for sector development. Considering technological, economic, and consumer advantages, the rationale for developing new fermented dairy products, particularly curd-based pastes, has been substantiated.The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using unconventional natural raw materials in the technology of functional curd-based pastes. The chemical composition of seeds was determined using standard analytical methods, and the obtained results were subjected to statistical processing to assess the accuracy, trueness, and repeatability of measurements, ensuring the reliability and validity of the data. It was found that the inclusion of chia, quinoa, and flax seeds in the development of new fermented dairy products contributes to an increase in their biological value, improves the amino acid and fatty acid profile, and enriches them with vitamins and minerals. The use of seeds as one of the natural enrichers in curd-based paste formulations allows for enhancement of the amino acid and fatty acid profile, as well as a significant increase in dietary fiber content, which stabilizes the product without the addition of synthetic additives. The absence of gluten in all tested seed samples enables the creation of functional foods suitable for individuals with celiac disease.The practical significance of this work lies in the scientific justification for using chia, quinoa, and flax seeds in curd-based paste formulations to regulate the content of biologically active compounds and improve the technological characteristics of the product.