UTILIZZO DEL LATTODINAMOGRAFO PER LA VALUTAZIONE DELL’ATTIVITA’ COAGULANTE DI CAGLI IN PASTA ARTIGIANALI.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of Formagraph to determine the milk clotting activity of animal Sicilian rennet pastes. Clotting time (r), curd firming time (k20) and curd firmness (a30) were measured during coagulation tests carried out with pasteurized cows’ milk. The rennet paste samples were collected in 11 dairy factories located throughout western Sicily. The factories produce two different pasta-filata cheese typologies, Caciocavallo Palermitano and PDO Vastedda della valle del Belìce, made with cows raw milk and ewe raw milk, respectively. Commercial liquid calf rennet Naturen and two industrial rennet pastes prepared from kid and lamb abomasums were used for comparison. The analyses (five replicates per sample) were performed with two distinct Formagraph appliances. Seven artisanal rennets showed values of r, k20 and a30 superimposable with those of control rennets, while the other five samples were characterized by a higher coagulation time and a lower curd firmness.