Abstract
The production of cheese from camel milk represents a significant sector within the food industry, particularly in regions where camel breeding has been extensively developed. A distinctive chemical composition is exhibited by camel milk. These properties render it a valuable raw material for the development of functional foods, including cheeses with increased biological value. The curdling process inherent to the production of camel milk necessitates a multifaceted approach, one which is informed by the distinctive characteristics of this raw material. Achieving optimal curdling conditions necessitates the judicious modulation of critical factors such as temperature, enzyme activity, pH level, and the utilisation of a suitable starter culture. This paper explores the impact of various factors on camel milk curdling. It was observed that a reduction in active acidity (pH) to 5.8-5.6 units resulted in a significant decrease in coagulation time to 35-40 minutes, accompanied by a favourable trend in the textural indices of the clots during gelation. The findings indicate that a clotting temperature of 35 °C is optimal for the fermentation process, and the increase in calcium chloride concentration also has a significant impact on reducing clotting time. Furthermore, the results of this study demonstrated that heat treatment significantly influenced the firmness of the clots. The coagulation of raw milk exhibited a firmness of 250.08±10.3 g, while at 63-65°C, it reduced to 177.5±6.08 g, at 72-74°C, it decreased to 90.35±15.73 g, and at 80-85°C, pasteurisation of milk resulted in the lowest hardness of 55.45 ± 2.58 g. The cheese yield varied from 20.90 to 10.34 depending on heat treatment.