Evaluation of the chemical, microbiological and volatile aroma characteristics of Ispir Kaymak, a traditional Turkish dairy product

The gross chemical composition, microbiological quality and volatile aroma composition of Ispir Kaymak, a Turkish creamy dairy product, were investigated in 10 samples. The chemical composition of the samples varied widely: dry matter content ranged from 70.8% to 91.3% and fat varied between 43.0% and 63.0%; probably due to the lack of standardised production in practice. The microbiological counts were found to be (as mean values): 4.02, 3.06, 0.33, < 2 log cfu/g for aerobic plate count, yeast and mould, coliform and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The sample quality showed that the production and storage conditions should be controlled and the hygienic quality of this product should be improved. A total of 73 volatile compounds, including esters, acids, ketones, aldehydes, alcohols, terpenes and miscellaneous compounds, were identified in the volatile fraction of the samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) using a solid-phase microextraction technique (SPME/GC-MS). Esters were the main volatiles in Ispir Kaymak, and ketones, alcohols and terpenes were found at high levels; however, the levels of acids were low in all samples.