PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF 'KLILA': A TRADITIONAL DRIED HARD CHEESE, MADE FROM SMALL RUMINANT'S MILK (GOAT AND EWE) COLLECTED IN BIBANS AREAS (HIGHLANDS) NORTH EAST OF ALGERIA

Klila a traditional dried hard cheese, widely known and appreciated in all regions of Algeria, with a grainy texture, formulated with raw milk and/or Lben; a fermented acified milk. The study aimed to valorize the Algerian traditional “Klila” cheese, and focused on twenty dried Klila's samples, manufactured from goat's (10 samples) and sheep's (10 samples) fermented milk L'ben. Collected from various livestock farms in Bibans arid aereas, Bordj Bou Arreridj province, North-Eastern of Algeria, during high lactation season March- April. The exploration of five physico-chemicals tests, gave value encircled between: pH (04- 04, 7), acidity in Dornic degree °D (22- 44°D), conductivity microsiemens/centimeter (0, 41- 02, 16 ms/cm), dry matter (25-48, 48%) and ash (0, 18- 0, 6%). Microbiological quality control By enumeration of nine bacterial groups allowed to estimating average total mesophilic aerobic flora (01.24 x103 cfu/g), fecal coliforms (08, 4 CFU/g), indologenes flora (0.32), faecal streptococci (21, 30 cfu/g). Samples hygiene level was acceptable; however, indigenous lactic flora, total fatty and proteins rates exploration are desirable.