Compositional analysis of Chami cheese made from bovine milk in UAE

Abstract

Samples of nine home-made, commercial Chami cheese samples were analyzed for chemical composition, texture, and rheology. The samples showed large variations in moisture, protein, fat, ash, mineral contents, and pH values. Fat content, fatty acid composition, and differential scanning calorimetry analyses suggested addition of extra fat in some samples either butter or vegetable oil. The sodium content in the 9 cheese samples varied from 223–2411 mg/kg with three samples having very high contents 1756, 2024, and 2411 mg/kg indicative of added salt. The sample with the low moisture content (60.9%) was the hardest among the cheeses. Rheological examination showed the Chami cheese samples of more elastic than viscous behavior.