Chemical composition and microbial evaluation of Argentinean Corrientes cheese |
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Authors: | OLGA M VASEK JEAN GUY LEBLANC ANGEL FUSCO GRACIELA SAVOY DE GIORI |
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Affiliation: | Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Avenida Libertad 5600, 3400 Corrientes, Argentina,;Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos (CERELA-CONICET), Chacabuco 145, Tucumán T4000ILC, Argentina, and;Cátedra de Microbiología Superior, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán T4000ILC, Argentina |
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Abstract: | The chemical and microbial composition of an artisanal cheese made from raw cow's milk produced and consumed in the province of Corrientes (north-eastern Argentina) was evaluated using standard methods. Corrientes cheese has high moisture content (50–60%), normal protein and fat contents (21–27 and 22–26% respectively), and is low in salt (0.5–2.0% w/w). Microbial counts also varied significantly between samples (colony-forming units per gram ranges covering logs of 5–11), probably due to environmental contamination in the raw material. These results will help produce higher quality Corrientes cheeses with well-defined characteristics. |
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Keywords: | Artisanal cheese Microbiology Physicochemical analysis Raw milk |
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