INFLUENCE OF PACKAGING SYSTEMS ON THE BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND VOLATILE COMPOUNDS OF INDUSTRIALLY PRODUCED TURKISH WHITE CHEESE

Full-fat Turkish white cheese was manufactured in an industrial scale and ripened for 90 days after packaging in polystyrene container with brine containing 12% salt or cryovac plastic material under vacuum. White cheese packaged with cryovac container had higher contents of total solids, milk fat, water-soluble nitrogen and lactic acid and lower contents of salt and ash than the cheese packaged in polystyrene container during ripening (P < 0.05). The ripening index and the counts of lactococci and lactobacilli were also higher with cryovac container (P < 0.05). With regard to volatile compounds, a total of 40 components were identified: alcohols (5), aldehydes (3), ketones (7), esters (4), volatile acids (10), hydrocarbons (8) and other compounds (3). Volatile acids were the main components of both Turkish white cheeses. The contents of hexanoic and butanoic acids, dominant acids of cheese in cryovac container, were significantly higher when compared to the cheese in polystyrene cup (P < 0.05).