Characteristic and Quality and Food Safety of Regional Cheese Produced from Mixed Milk

Abstract

There were cheeses produced from raw cow’s milk and from mixed milk compared. Mixed milk contained small ruminants’ milk (goat’s and ewe’s milk) and cow’s milk in different proportions. There were technological, physical and health parameters, mineral composition, microbiological indicators and sensory quality evaluated. Cow’s milk, compared to mixed milk, contained markedly lower amounts of fat, protein, casein, total solids, solids non fat, urea and acetone and higher values of lactose, citric acid and free fatty acids and showed significantly lower values of somatic cell count. Mixed milk showed lower (better) results for freezing point depression, markedly higher titration acidity and higher values ​​for Ca, Mg, K, P, Cu, Mn and Zn. The results of microbiological analyses confirmed good hygienic quality in terms of total count of mesophlic, psychrotrophic and thermoresistant bacteria and coliforms. Negative incidence of L. monocytogenes and mostly negative incidence of S. aureus are important results and confirmed high quality of raw material for cheese production. None of S. aureus strains were confirmed as MRSA. The results of sensory evaluation showed no significant differences between cheeses originated from cow’s milk and cheeses from mixed milk.

Keywords

• cow’s milk
• goat’s milk
• ewe’s milk
• microbiology
• technological parameters
• macro-elements