Comparative studies on the gross composition of White brined cheese and its imitations, marketed in the town of Stara Zagora.

The gross chemical composition of a total of 39 white brined cheese samples and 13 of its imitation products were studied during March 2009-November 2011. Extreme variability of the basic quality parameters of the white brined cheese marketed in the town of Stara Zagora has been established. Dry matter, fat in dry matter and moisture in the non-fatty substance vary in large levels within the range 33.79÷46.18 %, 47.35÷61.24 and 70.83÷83.18%, respectively for all 24 studied unpacked market cheese samples. Fat to protein ratio in these samples was in the range 1.09÷1.82. The values of DM, FDM and MNS in packed market white brined cheese samples were in the range 35.37÷49.87%; 48.38÷54.72 and 68.67÷78.58%. Fat to protein ratio in these samples was in the range 1.18÷1.48. The ripening index of market packed white brined cheese samples varies widely from 15.12 to 19.00%. Dairy factory imitation palm oil cheeses demonstrate significantly lower short-chain fatty acid (С4:0÷С10:0) levels. The very low values for this group of fatty acids in the imitation cheese demonstrated great substitution of the milk fat and large quantity of the palmitic (С16:0; 44.09÷44.25%) and stearic (С16:0; 38.95÷40.97%) fatty acids in comparison to natural white brined cheeses - 25.43÷29.86% and 6.45÷5.77%, respectively. Fat to protein ratio in the cheese imitation samples was in the range 2.05÷3.90.