Use of powdered vegetable coagulant in the manufacture of ewe's milk cheeses

A powdered vegetable coagulant obtained from the cardoon Cynara cardunculus and characterised as free of viable micro‐organisms, soluble and stable without the need for preservatives was evaluated, and compared with crude aqueous extract, in batches of Los Pedroches cheese, by determining various chemical, biochemical, microbiological and sensory parameters. Parameters were monitored over 3 months of ripening. High casein hydrolysis was observed after 2 days of ripening. The soluble nitrogen values reached at the end of ripening were over 34% of the total nitrogen in cheeses produced with both types of coagulant. For most parameters studied, no differences were observed between the two types of coagulant, although higher counts were observed for some microbiological groups in cheeses produced with crude aqueous extracts. The sensory quality of cheeses was practically identical with both types of coagulant. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry