Use of milk of other species

Mozzarella cheese was traditionally manufactured from buffalo milk in Italy, where it originated. The technology has hence been modified for cow milk and is being used widely all over Europe and U.S.A. Under Indian conditions, the milk that finds its way to the processing sector is of the mixed type, the major share being buffalo milk and the rest, cow and goat milk.

An average Indian farmer keeps buffalo, cow and goat for different agricultural purposes and hence, the milk that he produces is generally a mixture of a large quantity from one species of animal mixed with smaller quantities from other species. It is thus, essential to study the effect of blending of two milk systems. As such buffalo milk is unsuitable for the manufacture of Cheddar type and soft cheeses, as it results in hard, crumbly, coarse and brittle body and texture defects, whereas goat milk curd being soft, is unsuitable for making hard cheeses. Thus, blending these two milks would result in a Mozzarella cheese of most desirable characteristics. It has been reported that blending of buffalo and goat milk in 1:1 ratio results in good product. The mixed milk should contain a fat content of 3 % to result in satisfactory product. The organoleptic qualities, grating, melting and baking characteristics and eating quality of the cheese on Pizza was adjudged to be very good.

The rennet coagulation was faster in buffalo milk due to much faster rate of secondary action with high calcium. The buffalo milk curd was always firmer and stronger than cow milk curd of the same solid content. Goat milk had a shorter rennet coagulation time than in cow milk