THE EFFECT OF POTASSIUM SORBATE AND PACKING CONDITIONS ON THE QUALITY OF RICOTTA CHEESE

Ricotta cheese was made from sweet or salted Ras cheese whey coagulated with heat and direct acidifttion with acetic citric or lactic acid to pH 5.8-5.9 at 87.88’c and with the addition of potassium sorbate as preservative and packaged under vacuum. Cheese made using lactic had a higher yield, compared with other acid coagulant .Cheese treated with acetic add with added potassium sorbate and packaged under vacuum had the higher total solids and protein content than that in the other treatments .either made from sweet or salted whey. In addition, cheese made by using acetic coagulant and treated with potassium sorbate and packaged under vacuum had a higher hit content Finally, cheese treated with acetic add and potassium sorbate and packaged under vacuum had a higher scoring points. However, cheese made by using heat coagulant and potassium sorbate as chemical preservative and packaged under vacuum had a lower total count bacteria.