Changes in physicochemical, microbiological and fatty acid composition during the ripening period of artisan sheep cheese from Bulgaria

The composition of artisan sheep's milk cheese during the ripening period was studied. The raw material used for cheese production, was obtained from an indigenous Karakachan sheep from Bulgaria. It was found that the main physicochemical parameters of the cheese have changed during the study period. During the ripening process, chaaracteristics such as dry matter, total protein and fat content increased by approximately 7.0%, 3.0% and 4.0% respectively, while the water content of the samples decreased by up to 7.0%. A smooth acidification process was observed, which correlated with the high number of lactic acid bacteria. The fatty acid analysis showed that the saturated fatty acid composition was 66.0% and unsaturated fatty acids were 34.0%. During the biochemical ripening at the 60th day of the test period, the presence of linoleic polyunsaturated fatty acid was found to be 0.12%.