Ras cheese curd was produced from cow's skim milk and mixed buffaloes
and cow's skim milk (1:1). The resultant curd was blended withS. 10 and 15g 11009
curd of mixed strains cultures of Lactobacillus delbreukii ssp. bulgaricus +
Lactobacillus cesei at the ratios of T 1(1: 1), T II (1 :2) and T III (2:1). The curd was
Incubated at 37°C for 15 days. The addition of mixed strains clearly enhanced the biochemical changes in
all treated curds. The lactose in treated curds disappeared more rapidly than in
untreated ones, particularly in T III during ripening. The total bacterial number or lactic
acid bacteria were higher in fresh curd, followed by a decline during 7 and 15 days of
curing, being more pronounced in curd containing 15% starter. The ripening indices
values increased with the increase in percentage of added starter and with
progressive mcubation. The curd with 15% mixed starter (1 :2) after 15 days gave the
highest values for Formal and Shilovich ripening indices and SNITN % values after 15
days of storage. The addition of mixed strains culture increased the tryptophane
con lent of curd during ripening and these effect was more pronounced in curd
conta.ninq high percentage of starter. All the npening indices of Ras cheese curd produced from cow's skim milk
were higher than the corresponding values of curd from mixed buffaloes and cow's
skim milk