Quality characteristics of ‘Pasta-Filata’ Serbian Kačkavalj cheese and regulatory compliance assessment

The purpose of this study was to investigate the chemical, proteolysis, microbiological, colour and textural characteristics of Serbian Kačkavalj cheese in order to determine the variability degree between cheeses, compare their properties to other similar ‘Pasta Filata’ cheeses and to determine if they comply to the regulative requirements. A broad range of variations of cheese characteristics was found among Kačkavalj cheeses. The composition showed high variations: dry matter ranged from 51.52% to 58.71%; fat from 20.00% to 29.50%; fat in dry matter from 36.08% to 55.96%; NaCl from 0.93% to 3.69%; total protein from 23.25% to 30.79%. The proteolysis parameters in Kačkavalj cheeses differed significantly. The colour evaluation showed significant differences in a* and b* values, however in L* values there were no significant differences (p>0.05). The traditional Kačkavalj cheese represents the part of national heritage; thus, the comprehensive characterization was conducted to investigate quality variations between Serbian Kačkavalj cheeses. The study identified that term Kačkavalj is used despite some cheeses are not fully compliant with the National Standard. The control of fulfilling the requirements of the National Standard should be improved, as well as raising awareness and prevention of inadequate cheese labelling.