Effects of milk type, pasteurization, and in-container heating on Nabulsi cheese yield, chemical composition, and texture

Abstract

ABSTRACT Nabulsi cheese is a white-brined cheese made from different types of milk using different processing methods. This research aimed to investigate the effects of the following three factors on the quality of Nabulsi cheese, milk type (cow's, goat's, and sheep's milk), milk pasteurization (unpasteurized vs. pasteurized), cheese pasteurization (traditional boiling vs. in-container heating), and their two- and three-way interactions. The effect of the first two factors on the cheese yield and those of all three factors on the chemical composition and texture profile analysis (TPA) of cheese were investigated. The type of milk significantly affected all parameters tested. Similarly, milk pasteurization affected all parameters evaluated except ash content and hardness, while cheese pasteurization affected moisture content and cohesiveness. The two-way interaction between the type of milk and milk pasteurization affected the cheese yield, chemical composition (except for protein, fat, and ash contents), and TPA. The three-way interaction significantly affected the chewiness of cheese. The type of milk had the highest effect on cheese yield, fat and ash contents, and chewiness. In comparison, the effect of the interaction between the type of milk and milk pasteurization was highest on cheese hardness, while milk pasteurization had the highest effect on the remaining tested parameters.