Evaluation of the qualitative parameters of raw sheep’s milk with the potential for the production of traditional artisanal cheese

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the physicochemical and microbiological profile of indigenous sheep’s milk with the potential for the production of artisanal cheese. The data showed the changes in lactation stages (between April and August) up to 2 hours following manual milk production. The quality of raw milk in the production of brined cheese using traditional technology was assessed. The amount of dry matter was21.36% in April and 19.85% in August at the end of lactation. The fat content from April to August was between 8.62% and 8.03%, preserving the values reported. The protein composition of raw milk varied between 5.52 – 6.61%. In the microbiological evaluation of raw sheep’s milk after milking (35.3°C), the total microbial contamination was in the range of 1.3 x 106 to 1.4 x 106 CFU/mL under current conditions. The results obtained in this paper give rise to more in-depth studies on the application of raw sheep’s milk in the production of traditional artisanal cheeses.

Quality indicators of traditional Bulgarian artisanal sheep’s cheese

“…Our study's amino acid composition profiles were similar to those reported previously by other authors, causing quantitative and qualitative differences [9,23,24].…”

“…Traditional artisan cheeses acquire a specific milkysour taste during ripening, which cannot yet be related to the activity of certain strain cultures. Isolation of some representatives of the species L. plantarum and L. delbrueckii, as well as other species of lactic acid bacteria, is quantitatively and qualitatively inconsistent, related to different environmental conditions [8,9,10].…”

Effects of Feeding Management System on Milk Production and Milk Quality from Sheep of the Turcana Breed

“…The fat content decreased in the middle of the lactation period, with a slight increase being observed toward the end. These variations were probably due to the change in composition of the meadows and the metabolic adaptations of the sheep to changes in the climatic, physiological, and nutritional conditions specific to the milking period [ 1 ].…”

“…Sheep’s milk and dairy products derived from it have been an integral part of human nutrition for several centuries; their use in human nutrition is mainly due to the essential constituents: micro- and macronutrients (fatty acids, vitamins, trace elements, etc.) [ 1 ].…”

“…Representative studies have been carried out on sheep’s milk to evaluate chemical composition, physicochemical properties, and microbiological composition [ 1 , 6 , 7 , 8 ], as well as the content of trace elements and heavy metals [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Moreover, studies have been carried out to capture the effects of other factors on the quantitative and qualitative production of sheep milk, e.g., the effects of the lactation stage and the reproduction period [ 13 , 14 , 15 ], and the influence of exploitation management at the level of farms and micro-farms, namely, the growing and feeding systems, which can improve milk quality [ 5 , 12 , 16 ].…”