The impact of elevated temperatures on accelerating the ripening process of kachcaval cheese manufactured in Syria

This research was carried out at the laboratories of Food Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Damascus University, to investigate the effect of high temperatures on accelerating the ripening of kachcaval cheese, through determining the chemical and sensory indicators of ripened cheese using three temperatures (16°C, 20°C for a week) then completing the ripening process up to 60 days at 10°C and comparing the results a control cheese sample ripened at 10°C for 60 days. The results showed that using elevated temperatures led to reduction in the moisture content, accelerated the proteolysis and significantly increased the ripening index comparing with the control cheese sample. The sensory evaluation indicated that using elevated temperature at 16°C for one week then completing the ripening up to 60 days at 10°C decreased the ripening 15 days, and the cheese possessed a distinctive flavor and similar to the control cheese. Using 20°C for one week then complete the ripening up to 60 days at 10°C negatively affected the sensory properties of the ripened cheese at the day 30, where the cheese had strong undesirable flavor and taste and the texture was more tender.