One hundred samples of fresh and pickled kareish cheese (50 each), collected from the markets in Assiut province, were subjected. to physical and chemical examinations.
The physical examination of collected samples revealed the presence of holes of varying shapes and sizes in 50% of fresh cheese samples, while such defect could be detected in 96% of pickled cheese. Bitter taste could be detected in 10% of fresh cheese and in 22% of pickled cheese, while putrefactive odour was found in 2% of fresh as well as pickled cheese.
The mean content of moisture, total solids, fat, proteins and ash as well as sodium chloride and titratable acidity of fresh cheese samples were 69.56%, 30.44%, 5.58%, 17.49%, 6.15%, 4.66% and 0.77%, respectively, while those of pickled cheese were 60.88%39. 12%, 6.41%, 18.99%, 12.68%, 9.37% and 1.57% respectively,