Properties of Preveli cheese, traditional Croatian dried acid-coagulated cheese

Abstract

Preveli cheese is Croatian artisanal dried acid-coagulated cheese. The aim of this paper was to study its physicochemical composition and microbiological properties, as well as physicochemical composition and hygienic quality of cheese milk. The results could be used for the improvement of Preveli cheese quality and for getting a mark of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). The production of 35 batches of Preveli cheese was observed at 18 family farmsteads. Research showed that hygienic quality of milk was partially satisfying, which means that 51.42 % and 17.14 % of milk samples had total bacterial count and somatic cell counts above the threshold value (>300,00 and >400,000∙mL-1, respectively). According to the content of total solids, Preveli cheese belongs to the group of soft cheeses, while according to the content of fat in total solids it can be categorized as a fat cheese. Due to the non-standardized technological processes, mainly during skimming the milk fat, salting and drying, results of analysis showed notable variability in the physicochemical composition of the Preveli cheese and sour cream. The presence of yeast and moulds were detected in 22.86 % of cheese samples as well as coagulase positive staphylococci in 11.43 % of cheese samples, which indicated the need of improving the hygiene of the manufacturing processes.

Keywords

• dried acid-coagulated cheeses
• microbiological quality
• physicochemical composition
• Preveli cheese