Abstract:
A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of storage period on the chemical composition and coliform microflora of Wara cheese. Collections were in four batches and each batch served as a replicate of the experiment. Samples were kept in whey and subsequent chemical and microbiological analysis were carried out at the 15th, 39th, 63rd and 87th h of storage at room temperature. Result showed that fresh Wara cheese contained 70.75% moisture, 39.00% fat, 37.08% protein, 2.53% ash, 29.25% total solids while pH and coliform bacterial count (cbc) were 4.85 and 472.75 * 105 cfu g-1, respectively. Total solids, ash and coliform bacteria contents of Wara cheese were significantly (p < 0.05) affected by storage period. However, the effects of storage period on fat, protein and pH were negligible. Total solids content and cbc decreased by 5.25 and 95.68%, respectively during storage. A significant correlation was observed to exist between the pH and the % fat (r = -0.55; p<0.05) and the % ash contents (r = 0.60; p<0.05) of Wara cheese respectively, while a significant though negative correlation (r = -0.60; p<0.05) exists between cbc and the % moisture content. It could be concluded that Wara cheese can be stored in whey at room temperature without adverse effect on the nutritive value and consumer health.
O.A. Alalade and J.A. Adeneye , 2006. The Effect of Storage Period on the Chemical Composition and Coliform Microflora of Wara Cheese. International Journal of Dairy Science, 1: 126-130.
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