Physicochemical properties, sensory quality, and coagulation behavior of camel versus bovine milk soft unripened cheeses

This study investigated the coagulation properties of camel milk (CM) and bovine milk (BM) and the resulting soft unripened cheeses obtained by treatment with chymosin (1000 IMCU/ML milk) or citric acid or acetic acid (30% acid/L milk). The cheeses were evaluated for yield, moisture, microstructure, texture profile, rheology, and sensory quality. CM cheeses were significantly lower in hardness and rheological properties than BM cheeses (p <.05). Photo images and scanning electron microscopy revealed the characterization of CM cheeses by a smooth and continuous casein network, thinner aggregate strands, and smaller pore spaces, while BM cheeses showed large pore spaces with irregular aggregates. Panelists evaluated the CM and BM cheeses as comparable for some attributes and preferred the cheeses prepared using citric acid. In conclusion, soft cheese with weak structures can be prepared from CM. The coagulation time for CM was longer than that for BM and the specific coagulation behavior of CM was attributed to differences between the composition of the casein fraction in CM and that in BM.