Description of “Ovino Belmontese”, a new semisoft sheep's milk cheese processed using “Italico” cheese technology

The objective of this study was to create a new semisoft sheep’s milk cheese called “Ovino Belmontese” cheese (OBCh) by applying the “Italico” cheese-making technology. The cheese production took place under industrial conditions, with the addition of a commercial starter formulation containing Streptococcus thermophilus. The microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory characteristics of OBCh were assessed and compared to those of a commercially available cow’s Italico cheese (CICh). Streptococcus thermophilus dominated the microbial community during the cheese-making process, reaching levels of approximately 9.0 Log CFU/g in both OBCh and CICh. Among physical characteristics, no statistically significant difference (p ≥ 0.05) was registered in terms of lightness, redness, yellowness, and hardness between the two cheeses. OBCh exhibited a twofold higher short-chain fatty acid content compared to CICh. Both cheeses displayed similar classes of volatile organic compounds, although their relative percentages differed. The application of Italico cheese technology to process sheep’s milk did not negatively affect sensory attributes. This study highlighted that utilizing a cheese-making technology not commonly used for processing sheep’s milk represents a promising strategy to diversify Sicilian dairy productions.