RESEARCH REGARDING QUALITY OF RAW COW MILK UTILISED IN OBTAINING OF MEDIUM-HARD CHEESES

Roxana Nicoleta Raţu, M.G. Usturoi

Abstract
   Quality of cheeses is given by the ensemble of physical-chemical and microbiological features, those ones being decisive about the choice made by consumers.
   The aim of the paper was to study the correlation between quality of raw material (cow milk) and quality of final product (Caşcaval de Şipote) obtained in a milk processing unit from Iaşi County.
   For milk were effectuated determinations to establish content of non-fat dried substance (8.84 ± 0.02%), fat (4.10 ± 0.016%), protein (3.34 ± 0.007%), lactose (4.83 ± 0.011), casein (3.04 ± 0.05%) and ash (0.69 ± 0.009%), making, also, determinations for acidity (°T) and density (g/cm³) of raw milk.
   Regarding final product, were made determinations for establishing the fat content where mean was situated at a level of 24.085 ± 0.02% minimum being 24% and maximum value reaching 24.15%. Regarding variation coefficient, those one presented a very homogenous character (0.201%). Also, were realised determinations to establish moisture content (44.964 ± 0.02%), DM (55.036 ± 0.02%) and FMD (43.67 ± 0.02%). Other indicators with a real interest for defining the qualitative ensemble of analysed product were represented by salt content, which recorded a mean of 2.45 ± 0.01% and acidity which was situated at a level of 183.97 ± 0.07°T.
   The obtained results at the end of research which was at the base of the current study highlighted the fact that utilisation of a raw material with a good quality lead to obtaining of final products with a rich nutritive value.

Key words: quality, raw milk, cheeses