Serbian Traditional Goat Cheese: Physico-Chemical, Sensory, Hygienic and Safety Characteristics

Abstract

This research project aimed to investigate the physico-chemical, sensory, hygienic and safety characteristics of raw goat milk, whey, brine and traditional goat cheese during the ripening period of 28 days. Physico-chemical parameters included the determination of dry matter, fat, ash, protein, pH, water activity and NaCl content. The presence of Enterobacteriaceae and fungi was estimated on milk and cheese samples, and a sensory panel evaluated the products’ features and acceptability during ripening. The results show that the cheese under study belongs to the acid full-fat cheese group. A consumer panel attributed high scores to the goat cheese, until the 21st day of ripening. After this period, the overall features altered significantly, including augmented bitterness, odor intensification and the development of molds on the surface. The presence of fungi, associated with Enterobacteriaceae, suggests that the hygiene of the production processes needs to be improved. Regarding microbial safety, the detection of putative pathogens and antibiotic resistances recommend an active surveillance of traditional foods to avoid foodborne infections and/or the dissemination of resistant microorganisms along the food chain.

The influence of grazing and indoor systems on goat milk, brined cheese and whey quality

“…The best-evaluated characteristic of the goat cheese was its white colour, and no atypical colour spots could be observed. The results of this study are consistent with the findings of Mladenović et al (2021) who examined traditional white-brined goat cheeses, except that no bitterness was observed.…”

“…05) with the results of Bodnár et al (2021) and Pajor et al (2021) for semi-hard goat cheese. Comparing both groups of experimental cheese samples, it was found that dry matter, protein, and NaCl content were higher than in traditional goat white-brined cheese (Mladenović et al, 2021). In particular, fat content was higher in pasture-raised cheese.…”

“…In particular, whey from the pasture system contains a higher percentage of fat (0.58 % and 0.35 %, pasteurized milk treated at 80 °C/5 min and 90 °C/5 min respectively). Mladenović et al (2021) found that whey that remained in the traditional production of white brine cheese had a higher protein content and a lower fat and dry matter content compared to whey from pasture. Regarding the goat cheese production, processing milk from the indoor system resulted in a greater amount of the remaining .…”

Sensory Profile of Semi-Hard Goat Cheese Preserved in Oil for Different Lengths of Time

“…In addition, the air-ripened cheeses had the highest color intensity in cross-section and rind thickness, which may be due to the fact that these cheeses had the lowest moisture content compared to the cheeses ripened in oil after 10 or 20 days of ripening in the air [23], and it is well known that greatest moisture loss occurs at the beginning of ripening [23,46,47]. In the study of traditional Serbian goat cheese, the most pronounced changes in cheese color (yellowing) occurred after 14 days of ripening, which was due to moisture loss, the microbiological activity of non-starter lactic acid culture, and complex biochemical processes (proteolysis, lipolysis, and oxidation processes) [48]. The results for the color parameters (yellowness) in the study of Serrana goat cheese, which was subjected to a particularly long ripening period, were explained by a slight browning effect typical of cheese ripening [49].…”

Facile synthesis of CuONPs using Citrus limon juice for enhancing antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, beta-lactamase and tetracycline-resistant Escherichia coli

“…1,6 Antibiotics are usually administered as a prophylactic measure to reduce disease or bacteriological spoilage-related losses of products both on the farm and in the live animal market, without considering withdrawal periods. 7 Consequently, a significant amount of the applied antibiotics remains in the food chain as residue. 8 This situation is common in many least developed and developing countries, where agricultural farming has increased in step with socio-economic development.…”