A SURVEY ON TRADITIONAL CHEESE PRODUCTION AND DIVERSITY IN KOSOVO

Dr. Hysen Bytyqi, K. Berisha, A. Hamidi, D. Sylejmani, M. Thaqi

Abstract: The objective of this study was to identify the diversity of cheeses produced in Kosovo as well as the processing technology made by small-scale households in traditional form. A random sample consisting of 480 household cheese producers for local consumption were randomly selected, by representing all regions of Kosovo. The study was focused on their mode of cheese production, such as milk pasteurization, temperature when adding of rennet enzyme as a way of coagulation, curdling, cutting, pressing, salting, ripening and the use of cheese produced. For this purpose, the questionnaires with different questions were used. The study show that there was a small variety of cheeses produced in the traditional form and in total two types (soft cheese and hard cheese) were identified and differences were registered in the technology of production in both types of cheeses. Technological cheese production process showed lack of standardization which differed slightly according to the regions of production. In general, in terms of final product attributes 73.0% of small-scale farms in Kosovo produce soft cheese whereas 27.0% were hard cheese. However, in some regions special hard cheese forms were produced (Sharri cheese in the region of Prizren and Rugova cheese from Peja region). , This study provides important information on the high diversity on the technological process of cheeses produced in traditional form and shows the need of standardization of the technological process as to achieve the desired quality and simultaneously exclude the food safety issues, especially in the case of Sharri cheese produced without pasteurization of milk.

Keywords: Cheese diversity; small-scale households; technological process; traditional form

Date published: 2017-02-28