EFFECT OF LACTATION PERIOD AND MILKING INTERVALS OF HAMDANI SHEEPS MILK IN DUHOK GOVERNORATE

Abstract

The pH value of yoghurt during storage at 40C for 1, 7, 14 days, was 4.54, 4.32, 4.12 for samples made of morning milk and 4.59,4.29 and 3.57 for those made of evening milk, respectively. Sensory evaluation indicated that yoghurt made of morning milk was better than that of evening milk. The microbiological test indicated that the total aerobic bacterial count in samples during storage period was 1.84, 5.64 and 7.02 ×105 cfu/g , yeast and moulds count was 0.060, 0.176 and 0.316× 105cfu/g, respectively, for morning milk, after cold storage for the same periods, while the samples made of evening milk contain from aerobic bacteria was 1.63, 2.34 and 5.28× 105 cfu/g, yeast and moulds count was 0.001, 0.100 and 0.254×105 cfu/g, respectively, for the same periods and storage temperature. All samples of yoghurt were free from coliform bacteria.