VETERINARY AND SANITARY EXAMINATION OF SOFT GOAT'S MILK CHEESE WHEN USING CHLORELLA VULGARIS IN THE DIET

The aim of the study is to determine the effect of Chlorella vulgaris dry biomass on the quality of soft cheese samples when added to goat diets. Soft cheese samples were tested in the technology and expertise laboratory of the Mari State University. A production experiment enriching goat diets with the feed additive was conducted over 120 days in 2024 at the S.G. Knyazev peasant farm in the Mari El Republic. Four groups of animals, each with 10 heads, were formed for the experiments. The experimental design consisted of the following options: 1 – control (animals received only the basic diet); in the 2nd group, 10 % of the concentrated feed was replaced with Chlorella vulgaris dry biomass; in the 3rd and 4th groups, the replacement was 15 % and 20 %, respectively. During the experiment, test milking was conducted every 10 days to determine milk quality and monitor animal productivity. At the end of the study, soft cheese samples were produced and their quality was assessed using chemical parameters. Standard methods were used to analyze the composition and properties of the raw milk and soft cheeses. All raw milk samples met the standard for raw goat milk. The addition of the feed additive had a positive effect on the cheese-making properties of the milk, increasing the ionized calcium content and the average diameter of casein micelles, and accelerating the rennet coagulation process. Further testing of the Hottabych soft cheese samples revealed that the yield of the finished product increased by 0.58 % and 1.6 %, respectively, in the 3rd and 4th groups compared to the first control group. When comparing the data obtained from the three experimental groups, partial replacement of concentrated feed with 15 % dry biomass of Chlorella vulgaris was more cost-effective.