THE IMPACT OF STARTER CULTURES ON QUARK TYPE CHEESE PRODUCTION

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of starter cultures on the physicochemical and microbiological properties, texture, yield, and consumer preferences of quark type cheese. For this purpose, three different quark cheeses were manufactured by using commercial starter cultures. The microbiological, physicochemical, textural, and sensory properties of the cheese samples were determined at 1st, 14th, and 28th days of the storage period. The results showed that the kind of starter culture used in production influences the composition and yield of the obtained quark cheeses. It has been determined that the use of kefir culture in quark cheese production influences the moisture and water holding capacity, and as a result, improves its spreadability. Also, the sensory analysis exhibited that cheese produced with kefir culture had higher texture and taste-flavor acceptability. The study indicates that kefir culture may be successfully used in quark cheese production.