TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION OF BEATEN CHEESE

Cheese production in Macedonia is mainly based on 4 products including: White brined cheese, Kashkaval, Urda (whey cheese) and Beaten cheese. The Beaten cheese is an indigenous dairy product which dates from the Ottoman Empire, formerly produced by sheep milk, but today mostly from cow's milk, and have a real chance to get a protected denomination of origin. This paper presents the results of examination of the traditional production of Beaten cheese from cow's milk in Mariovo region. After 45 days of ripening the Beaten cheese had average results for following parameters: pH (5.35), titrable acidity (66 0 SH), moisture (38.78%), dry matter (61.22%), milk fat (25.73%), milk fat in dry matter (42.16%), protein (27.44%), ash (9.18%) and salt (5.15%). Lack of hygienic procedures during the manufacture of Beaten cheese was the reason for detection of E. coli, Enterobacteriaceae and coagulase positive staphylococci in the final product.