SALT BALANCE AND RENNET CLOTTING PROPERTIES OF COWS, EWES, AND GOATS MILKS PRESERVED WITH CARBON-DIOXIDE

Cow's, ewe's, and goat's milk samples were treated with carbon dioxide gas until a pH of 6.1 was reached and stored at 4 degrees C to determ ine the resulting modifications in the mineral balance. The amounts of calcium and phosphorus dissolved during the acidification were simila r in the three species. The acidification with CO2 produced the dissol ution of phosphorus and magnesium in concentrations similar to those a ttained by acidification with lactic acid or hydrochloric acid. Still, the contents of soluble calcium and ionic calcium were higher with th e CO2 treatment. The increase of ionic calcium due to the addition of CO2 could explain why milk subjected to such treatment is better suite d for coagulation. Removal of added CO2 by shaking the milk for severa l hours at atmospheric pressure resulted in a higher concentration of ionic-calcium than was found in control milks to which no CO2 had been added. Thus the addition of CO2 improved milk's technological suitabi lity for cheesemaking.