Low Salt Soft Cheese; Compositional Quality and Incidence of Aerobic Spore Forming Bacteria

Abstract

ABSTRACT Soft white cheese is the principal type of cheese available to all in huge quantities in Egyptian markets .Consumption of low salt soft cheese increased through the last decades due to the adverse effects of salt .The aim of this study was to evaluate compositional quality and incidence of aerobic spore forming bacteria of low salt soft cheese .A total of fifty four samples of Egyptian low salt soft cheese were collected randomly during the period between June and December 2019 from different localities in Alexandria and El Behera Governorates.the respective mean values of pH were(5.83±0.52,5.40±0.70);acidity%(0.53±0.31,0.67±0.35);moisture%(57.95±3.54,56.76±4.91);Fat/DM%(23.72±5.76,25.45±12.99) and salt% (1.80±0.49,1.78±0.62) for Alexandria and El-Behera Governerates, respectively and comparison of these results with Egyptian standard .While mean values of incidence of aerobic spore formers were 8.63×102 ±7.87×102 , 5.71×102±4.10×102 respectively for samples from Alexandria and El-Behera Governerates. There was no significant difference between chemical composition of low salt soft cheese samples from both Governerates, but significant variation of results of aerobic spore formers count in examined soft cheese samples existed between Alexandria and El Behera Governorates. All suggested measures should be taken to improve the quality of low salt soft cheese .