Improving the Properties of Kariesh Cheese Made by Ultrafiltration Using Biological Treats and Dairy Fortifiers

Abstract

The aim of this study is improving the properties of Kariesh cheese that made from ultrafiltrated (UF) fresh buffalo's skim milk by using biological treats and dairy fortifiers. In this work Kariesh cheese was made by: i) Traditional method as control (C1), ii) UF- technique free of additives (C2), iii) UF- technique + adding whey protein concentrate (WPC) or whey powder (WP) to cheese retentate, iv) UF- technique + using exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing cultures (Lb. rhamnoses + Lb. acidophilus 1:1) separately or mixed with 2% of WPC or WP from skim milk retentate. The chemical, microbiological, rheological and sensory properties of the resulted cheese samples were studied during 14 days of storage at 6±1◦C. The results showed that, the rheological properties of all cheese treatments were improved during the storage period compared to the control that made with traditional method (C1). Also the sensory evaluation (total scores) showed that the best Kariesh cheese treatment was that made with WP at 14th day of storage. However, there was an increase in all chemical parameters except for moisture and pH values. The microbiological examination shows that all cheese treatments (fresh or during storage) were free of coliform. Furthermore, the results show an increase in the total viable counts, number of Lactobacilli and streptococci during storage. The highest numbers of Lactobacilli and Streptococci were found in the treatment made with a mixture of EPS-producing culture and WP.