EFFECT OF PROCESSING VARIABLES ON THE QUALITY AND SHELF-LIFE OF PROCESSED CHEESE FROM BUFFALO MILK CHEDDAR CHEESE

Processed cheese was made from a blend of microbial rennet buffalo mil k Cheddar cheese of different ages. Among different emulsifying salts, a mixture of trisodium citrate and disodium hydrogen phosphate in the ratio of 1:2 and added at the rate of 3% was found to be the most sui table. Commercial formulations of emulsifying salts commonly used in p rocessed cheese from cow milk cheese, yielded an acidic and coarse pro duct when used in buffalo milk processed cheese. Higher heat treatment (85-degrees-C/5 min compared with a control treatment of 75-degrees-C /5 min) imparted a mealy, dry and brittle texture to cheese. Potassium sorbate, Delvocid and Nisaplin were added as preservatives to process ed cheese packed in tin cans and stored at 30 +/- 1-degree-C and 8 +/- 1-degree-C. No marked effect of preservatives on the shelf-life of pr ocessed cheese was observed and it remained acceptable for 4 months at 30-degrees-C and more than 12 months at 8-degrees-C.