CHARACTERISTICS IN MILK INFLUENCING CHEESE YIELD AND CHEESE QUALITY

CHARACTERISTICS IN MILK INFLUENCING CHEESE YIELD AND CHEESE QUALITY

Introduction

Good quality milk, giving an optimal cheese yield and cheese quality, originate from healthy animals, has good flavour, has been cold-stored for a limited amount of time and has a high protein content.
The milk should be low in somatic cell count [which can reduce cheese yield], as well as have a low content of free fatty acids - a high level of FFA could reduce the coagulation properties of milk, and can also contribute to the development of rancid flavour in cheese.
Milk used for cheesemaking must be of good microbiological quality, pathogenic bacteria should be absent - psychrotrophic bacteria have heat-resistant lipases & proteases which may reduce cheese yield and may also cause  undesirable flavours in ripened cheese.
Clostridia spores cause late blowing in cheese with eyes and can induce off-flavours in closed-texture cheeses.
Antimicrobial agents for example detergents, antibiotics must be absent as these can strongly influence the acidification process of the lactic acid bacteria.

**  Refer to the article attached for more information on the various factors that can influence cheese yield and quality.