Dairy processing and product quality

June 12, 2012 at 7:16 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Dairy pilot plant, Tel Hadya: small modifications to traditional processing methods can significantly
improve product quality and shelf life

Shanklish, made from goat or sheep milk, is a popular traditional cheese in the Middle East. ICARDA researchers are developing simple modifications to the traditional processing method, to improve product quality. These include more efficient fat separation and the use of selected dairy cultures. In 2012, several batches of surke (the fresh, pre-ripening form of shanklish) were produced at the dairy pilot plant at Tel Hadya. The quality was excellent, and this technology will be scaled out next season.

The laboratory at Tel Hadya also provided support for an ICARDA-led project in Jordan, to improve processing methods for jameed (dried, fermented yogurt balls). Analysis of jameed samples from different parts of Jordan revealed high levels of contamination (10⁴ to 10⁶ cfu) with yeast and molds. Another problem was low churning efficiency during processing, leading to unacceptably high fat content (range 3 to 15%) and poor jameed quality. Ongoing work is helping to relate contamination to salt and acidity levels. (Salt is added as a preservative, while lactic acid is produced during the fermentation process.) The results will help modify traditional processing methods to reduce contamination and improve product quality and shelf life.

For more information contact Dr Muhi El-Dine Hilali, food technologist, email M.Hilali@cgiar.org

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