SOME STUDIES ON HALLOUMI CHEESE

Abstract

PART 1: Chemical composition analysis of Halloumi cheese available i n the Egyptian market was done and it was within the l egal standard of semi-hard cheeses (40- 50%) moisture. Microbiological examination of surveyed Halloumi cheese were more or less simi lar to that data obtained by several authors and mentioned in the Review of Literature.

PART II: Hall oumi cheese in th is experiment was produced successful l y from different types of mi l k (cow's, buffalo's and mixture of cow's and buffalo's mi l k). The chemical composition of these cheeses was with the Egypt i an legal standards of semi-hard cheeses. Also, it agrees with the obtai ned resul ts for the survey cheese in this study. The microbiological quality of the produced cheeses agree with the microbiological data either observed in the survey cheeses or mentioned in the review. The sensory eval uation data it clears that the cheese made either from buffal o's or from mixed milk had higher scores. The character of Halloumi cheese made from mixed milk was better than that made either from cow's or buffalo's milk.

PART Ill: Production of low-fat Halloum i cheese. Low-fat Halloumi cheese can be made from heated hal f-fat milk and from hal f-fat mi l k wi th adding Simplesse® l 00 as fat replacers and these cheeses were more or less similar to the control Halloumi cheese made from a mixture of cow's and buffalo's milk. The chemical composition analysis of the produced Halloumi cheese indicated that the low-fat Hallou m i cheese either made from heated half-fat milk or made from half-fat milk with fat replacer were within the Egyptian legal standard of semi-hard cheeses (40- 50%) moi sture. The microbiological examination of the produced Halloumi cheeses indicated that these cheeses got more or less count of total viable bacteria and agree with the results of survey. However, col iform groups were not detected in all cheese samples due to the hygiene in the manufacture of these cheeses. The sensory eval uation score clears that the Hallou mi cheese made from hal f-fat milk with fat replacers (Simpl esse® l 00) had a hi gh score second to controls and almost cl ose to the score of control.