The effect of salt concentration on rancidity in Gaziantep cheese

Gaziantep cheese is a non-fermented and enzyme clotted type cheese. The cha nges in oxidative and hydrolytic rancidity in the cheese were analysed duri ng its storage. Storage conditions were selected as 4, 10 and 20 degrees C and 90, 170, 200 and 230 g kg(-1) salt solutions by considering the traditi onal storage conditions. Oxidative rancidity increased with increasing temp erature and NaCl concentration in the brine. Hydrolytic rancidity increased with increasing temperature and decreasing salt content of the cheese. The extent of oxidative rancidity was found to be higher than hydrolytic ranci dity. The results of this study showed that the storage temperature should not be higher than 10 degrees C and brine concentration must be higher than 90 g kg(-1) and lower than 230 g kg(-1) to minimize lipid oxidation. Gazia ntep cheese was organoleptically examined after 2 months of storage at 20 d egrees C and in 90, 170 and 230 g kg(-1) salt solutions, and it was found t hat even at a peroxide value around 1 meq kg(-1), acceptable levels of chan ges in flavour were observed. Sensory analysis results showed that textural properties of Gaziantep cheese changed with salt concentration of the brin e. (C) 1999 Society of Chemical Industry.