Influence of Heat Treatment on Rennet Clotting Properties of Mixtures of Cow's, Ewe's, and Goat's Milk and on Cheese Yield

Abstract

A study of the influence of milk species on milk mixtures and heat treatment on rennet clotting properties (RCP) of milk has been performed. The effect of heating on cheese yield from milk of different species was also studied. The results obtained showed that the RCP of the milk mixtures of goat/cow milk were different from those of ewe/cow milk. These differences could be due to the different milk protein and salt composition of the milk of the three species as well as differences in the structure and composition of the micelles. Analysis of the milk mixtures containing different percentages of the milk of the three species showed that there were significant ( P < 0.05) differences in the RCP of the milk mixtures studied. It is possible to increase the cheese yield by heating the milk from different species. However, the yield of goat's or ewe's milk only increased until a specific intensity of heat treatment; at higher heat treatment this parameter had no influence on cheese yield. Keywords: Rennet properties; cow, goat, ewe milk mixtures; cheese yield