Role of salt in Iranian ultrafiltered Feta cheese: Some textural and physicochemical changes during ripening

The effect of NaCl (0-4%) on the ripening of Iranian ultrafiltered (UF)-Feta cheese was assessed over 120days of ripening at 4 degrees C. Whey percentage, whey salt, whey pH, cheese pH and textural properties of hardness and cohesiveness were monitored, and experimental modelling performed using response surface methodology. Texture, pH and whey percentage were significantly affected by NaCl and ripening. The maximum whey of 22% was recorded at the end of ripening period. Texture of this cheese becomes harder during ripening confirming cheese pH and whey percentage being the major determining factors. Cheese samples were more elastic than viscous with cohesiveness values of 0.6-0.9.