Impact of Brine salt concentrations and Starter culture on Quality and Safety of Sudanese Muddaffara Cheese

Sudanese Muddaffara cheese was made using caw’s milk inoculated with mixed lactic culture and ripening stored for 90 days at refrigerator temperature in different brine salted whey concentrations (4, 8, 12%) and adjusted to 4.0 or 4.5 pH values. Physiochemical, microbiological quality and safety as well as texture changes and sensory attributes was examined during ripening. Control cheese was manufactured without starter culture and stored for ripening in brine whey 10% salt for same period. The results indicated that the physicochemical characteristics of Muddaffara cheese vary during ripening period in different brine salt and pH values. Moisture of cheese increased during the first two months then slightly decreased in all treatments being more obvious when stored in brine at pH 4.5. On the other hand, protein, fat, salt, SN, titratable and acidity values were increased following an opposite trend of moisture. Texture profile showed changes in all parameters with prolonging the ripening periods. Cheese hardness, springiness, gumminess and chewiness were deceased while adhesiveness and cohesiveness increased during ripening period indicating more changes when stored in brine at pH 4.5. The microbiological parameters were correlated to salt concentration and pH value during ripening being lower at higher salt and lower pH value of brine. Undesirable bacteria ( E. coli and Salmonella sp .) were not detected in any of the samples during storage period. All Muddaffara cheese treatments were acceptable with no significant differences when produced with mixed lactic culture and ripened up to 60 days in brine at different salt and pH values. The best Muddaffara treatment was that ripened for two months in brine with 12% salt at pH 4.5. Use of mixed culture and storage in brine salted whey could be a promising approach to improve the quality and safety of Sudanese Muddaffara cheese.