Mediterranean dairy sheep and goat products and their quality

Celaya

Small Ruminant Research

et al. 2012

a b s t r a c tGoats have developed in harmony with local conditions of climate, terrain, vegetation, and even pathogens over centuries in many areas, while they have been blamed of causing environment degradation in other ones. The paper summarizes the situation of goat's population worldwide, the status of the breeds and the multiple implications of their conservation, the interactions of goats with other animal species (wild or domestic) and the main issues regarding the consequences of goat grazing from the environmental point of view. It underlines that most of the environmentally harmful effects of goat grazing arise from improper management practices at very high grazing pressures whereas goat grazing can be a useful tool for conservation if managed adequately. Moderate grazing pressures can be compatible with high levels of biodiversity and provide externalities, whereas high intensity at short term can be a valuable tool for weed control. Goat genetic heritage is seriously threatened and requires more studies and greater support from national and international institutions, in parallel with other efforts in rural development, especially for remote areas which hold an outstanding reservoir of livestock diversity adapted to the local conditions and managed by impoverished communities. A multidisciplinary approach of scientists, policy makers, rangeland managers and local communities is required for the design of future sustainable management plans.

Section: Future Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Goat grazing, its interactions with other herbivores and biodiversity conservation issues

Celaya

Small Ruminant Research

et al. 2012

“…Spanish sheep milk cheese production increased by 28% between 2002(FAO 2014. Ewes are mainly milked for the manufacture of typical dairy products, in particular cheeses, which often have a regional or local connotation of origin and quality (Boyazoglu and Morand-Fehr 2001). Local cheese production is an important economic activity, especially in Mediterranean countries (Caridi et al 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In some cases, these cheese varieties have a strong brand image that connects the product to characteristic sensory attributes, to a particular animal management conditions and to traditional cheesemaking methods. That plays a positive role in the choice of the product by consumers (Boyazoglu and Morand-Fehr 2001). Sensory quality is one of the most important attributes of a food product, determined by its flavour, texture and appearance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence of sensory defects in semi-hard ewe’s raw milk cheeses

Zabaleta

Albisu

Ojeda

et al. 2015

Dairy Sci. & Technol.

Sensory quality is one of the most important attributes of cheeses, as consumers demand homogeneous and unaltered products. The presence of sensory defects in the final product causes financial losses and consequently has a great economic impact on cheese makers. Therefore, a study was conducted to find out main defects that affect sensory quality: eyes, paste, rind, flavour, texture and shape of commercial semi-hard ewe's raw milk cheeses. The frequency of occurrence of relevant sensory defects in cheeses with different ripening times and those manufactured in different seasons was also investigated. Samples were collected along 5 years during the annual sensory quality control from different cheese makers. Although flavour is a major determinant of consumer acceptance, most common defects were those related to the internal appearance, especially cracks, which were more frequent in summer cheeses, and caverns, which were more frequent in spring and winter cheeses. White paste, soft texture and acid flavour defects were more frequent in cheeses with shortripening period. Medium-and long-ripened cheeses presented a higher percentage of an excess of rind halo with a darker paste colour, animal flavour and marks in the rind. Due to compositional milk changes throughout cheesemaking seasons, cheese makers should adapt their manufacturing practises to those changes and try to achieve uniform cheeses. The results found in this study may be useful for the quality improvement of semi-hard ewe's raw milk cheeses.

“…Such an environment does not favour easy cereal production and development of rich pastures capable of meeting the roughage requirements of raising dairy cattle. However, it is suitable for sheep and goats, which are mostly raised in a nomadic or semi-nomadic system based on native pasture and crop residues [9,10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics of major traditional regional cheese varieties of East-Mediterranean countries: a review

Alichanidis

Polychroniadou

2008

Dairy Sci. Technol.

-Traditional cheeses represent a heritage and are the result of accumulated empirical knowledge passed on from generation to generation. Pedoclimatic conditions in most parts of the East-Mediterranean and neighbouring countries are characterised by relatively small and irregular precipitations, hot and dry summers, and a largely hilly terrain. Such environmental conditions are not very favourable for cattle but suitable for sheep and goats. Thus, the majority of traditional cheeses in these countries were -and most of them still are -made from the milk of these two animals. The relatively high ambient temperature, the lack of refrigeration facilities and the fact that most of the cheeses were produced in family enterprises or in small artisanal units led the cheese market to be dominated (> 50%) by "white brined cheeses" (WBC), which are ripened and stored under brine until consumption, e.g. Feta, Domiati and Beyaz-Peynir. WBC have no rind, no gas holes and are soft to semi-hard with an acidic (pH ∼ 4.5), salty and, some of them, piquant taste. To improve keeping quality, the drained curd of some WBC is additionally scalded at very high temperatures (90-100 • C), e.g. Halloumi and Nabulsi. Traditional cheeses of the region also include pasta filata semi-hard cheeses (e.g. Kashkaval), the curd of which after draining and acidification (pH ∼ 5.2) is subjected to a texturising process (heating, kneading and stretching at ∼ 75 • C). They usually have a flat-cylindrical shape, no holes and straw-yellow to yellow colour. Whey cheese production (e.g. Myzithra, Manouri, Lor, Anari, Urda and Skuta) was developed very early in this area, since the whey from sheep's and goat's milk cheese is very rich in protein. The yield can be improved if the milk of these small ruminants and/or cream is added to the whey.East-Mediterranean cheese / white brined cheese / whey cheese / pasta filata cheese / goat's cheese / ewe's cheese Résumé -Caractéristiques des principales variétés de fromages traditionnels régionaux des pays de l'est méditerranéen : une revue. Les fromages traditionnels représentent un héritage ré-sultant des savoirs empiriques accumulés et transmis de génération en génération. Les conditions pédoclimatiques dans la plupart des pays de l'est méditerranéen et ses voisins sont caractérisées par des précipitations relativement faibles et irrégulières, des étés chauds et secs et un terrain générale-ment vallonné. De telles conditions environnementales ne sont pas favorables pour les bovins mais conviennent bien aux ovins et caprins. La majorité des fromages traditionnels de ces pays ont été ou sont encore fabriqués à partir du lait de ces deux espèces. La température ambiante relativement élevée, le manque de réfrigération et le fait que la plupart des fromages sont produits dans des petites unités (familiales ou artisanales) font que le marché du fromage est dominé (> 50 %) par des fromages blancs saumurés qui sont affinés et conservés dans la saumure jusqu'à consommation, par exemple le Feta, le Domiati, le Be...