Preparation and quality assessment of Mozzarella cheese from Buffalo milk with addition of specific type of LAB

This study investigates the chemical composition, microbiological attributes, and sensory properties of Mozzarella cheese produced from buffalo milk collected from selected farms in Haripur, Jaintapur Upazila at Sylhet district. The cheese was prepared using varying concentrations of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) starter cultures (0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0%), followed by enzymatic coagulation with rennet. The physico-chemical analysis revealed that the addition of LAB significantly (P<0.05) increased the dry matter (DM%) and ether extract (EE%) content, with the highest values observed in the T3 treatment (2.0% LAB). Conversely, nitrogen-free extract (NFE%) decreased significantly with increasing LAB concentration. The microbiological analysis demonstrated a significant increase (P < 0.05) in LAB count across treatments, while the standard plate count (SPC) showed an upward trend, though not statistically significant. Coliform bacteria were absent in all samples. Sensory evaluation indicated substantial improvements (P < 0.05) in color, taste, texture, flavor, and appearance with increasing LAB levels, particularly in T2 (1.0% LAB) and T3 (2.0% LAB). These findings suggest that the incorporation of LAB enhances both the quality and sensory attributes of Mozzarella cheese, making it a promising approach for cheese production.