Effect of buffalo milk on the yield and composition of buffalo feta cheese at various processing parameters

The aim of this study was to analyze the composition of Iranian buffalo milk and study the effect of different parameters such as fat content, acidity of milk, starter culture and temperature on the composition of buffalo feta cheese. The feta cheese yields obtained from buffalo milk were higher in comparison with the yields reported for cow milk. Higher yields were obtained when the fat content of the milk was increased. Rise in the raw milk acidity increased the yield and reduced the fat, protein and lactose loses. Thermophilic and mesophilic starter cultures exhibited better activities at 38 °C and 34 °C, respectively. Pasteurization resulted in significantly (p<0.05) higher yields, but homogenization did not affect the yield notably (p>0.05). The results of this study revealed that buffalo milk could be regarded as a good source for the production of feta cheese due to elevated amounts of fat, protein and Ca. The results showed that optimum conditions were needed to achieve the higher yields.