Title: Effect of Some Preservatives on Pickled Soft Cheese
Abstract: The effect of green pepper, sorbic acid, sodium benzoate plus benzoic acid and hydrogen peroxide on the total bacterial and lactobacilli counts and on destruction of coliform bacteria in pickled cheese during storage for 12 weeks at 10 C varied with the kind and amount of preservative.Effects on acidity, pH and free fatty acid production in cheese were also reported.There were no effects on yield, moisture, and fat contents.Lactobacilli were always more numerous in untreated cheese than in any preservative treated cheese.Hydrogen peroxide and green pepper did not retard growth of lactobacilli, whereas scorbic acid was less effective than benzoate.Hydrogen peroxide and green pepper destroyed most of the coliform bacteria.Free fatty acids were highest in the untreated and in the green pepper-treated cheese and lowest in the hydrogen peroxide-treated cheese.Cheese with green pepper had better flavor, body and texture.