Manufacturing characteristics and shelf life of Quesillo, an Argentinean traditional cheese

Quesillo is a pasta filata cheese variety typical of the Argentine Northwest. Some features of this cheese are reviewed: gross composition, manufacturing technology and shelf life microbiological composition. Gross composition showed: pH 5.1, fat 21.21%, protein 29.02%, total solids 51.50%. The manufacturing methods compared were (1) traditional, with raw milk and native flora growth (TM), (2) experimental 1, with pasteurized milk, lactic starters and conventional, plastic bag packaging (EM1); (3) experimental 2, with pasteurized milk, lactic starters and vacuum packaging (EM2). EM1 and EM2 showed that total processing time is shortened by 8 h with regard to TM. Microbiological quality was better in EM1 than TM, but it was the best in EM2, thus obtaining a longer shelf life product.