Chemical and Microbiological Characterization of Turoš Cheese
Summary Turos cheese belongs to the group of fresh, acidic, dried cheeses, fl avoured with dried red pepper and cone shaped, produced in Međumurje region of Croatia and Hungary by Croats from Pomurje. Th e goal of this paper was to investigate the production procedure, physico-chemical properties and microbiological qulity of Turos cheese, whose production takes place on the family farms and in small dairy plants. Due to skimming the sour cream during the production at family farms a signifi cant part of milk fat was removed that resulted in a lower content of milk fat in traditional Turos cheese (P<0.01) in comparison to the Turos cheese produced at small scale dairy plant. A signifi cantly higher salt content (P<0.001) and pH value (P<0.05) was found in Turos cheese produced at family farms. Th e investigations have shown a signifi cant diff erence in height (P<0.0001) and in weight (P<0.05) in favor of the cheeses produced in small scale dairy plants. Microbiological analysis showed that all the analyzed cheeses met the requirement of hygienic conditions. Further analyses have shown the presence of yeasts and molds in the cheeses.