Comparison of Some Characteristic Properties of Diyarbakir Orgu Cheese Produced by Traditional and Industrial Method

Abstract

Orgu cheese, widely produced and consumed in Turkey's South-eastern Anatolia region, is usually made from sheep's milk. In this study, 15 traditional and 15 industrially produced Orgu cheese samples were compared in terms of chemical, biochemical, mineral content, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity. While the mineral substance and antioxidant activity values of Orgu cheese samples produced by both traditional and industrial methods were close to each other, it was determined that there were differences in terms of chemical and biochemical content. The mineral content was obtained quite high and antioxidant activity was low in cheese samples. Also, the water-soluble extracts of cheese samples didn't show any antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 and Escherichia coli ATCC 11303. It was detected that the production method and ripening conditions have a decisive effect on some basic characteristics of the examined cheeses. Practical Application: Orgu cheese is a kind of traditional Turkish cheese manufactured from raw or pasteurized milk by scalding of curd in salt water.