COAGULATION OF BUFFALOS MILK AND RESULTANT DOMIATI CHEESE CHARACTERISTICS AS AFFECTED BY SALTING AND REPLACEMENT WITH SOUR CREAM BUTTER MILK

The action of rennet on buffaloe's milk replaced by 5, 10 or 15\% of sour cream butter milk salted by either 6 or 10\% before renneting or after the rennet action was studied as the non protein nitrogen (NPN) content. Buffaloe's milk without replacement of butter milk was taken as a control. Results revealed that addition of salt to milk before renneting inhibited the rennet action and consequently increased the coagulation time. The inhibition increased with the increase in the salting percent. In contrast, replacement of buffaloe's milk by sour cream butter milk enhanced the rennet action and shortened the coagulation time compared with the control. This effect was increased proportionally by the increase in sour cream butter milk. Enhanced protein breakdown, slightly higher accumulation of free fatty acids and good quality were observed in Domiati cheese treated with sour cream butter milk compared with the control. This effect was pronounced in case of 15\% sour cream butter milk.