Kajmak is a specific dairy product with long term tradition of manufacture in Serbia and few South-East European countries. It is manufactured from the thin layer formed on the surface of hot milk during long cooling process. It may be consumed as a fresh, immediately after manufacture, or after a maturation period, as a ripened Kajmak. Kajmak is ripened usually up to 30 days at 15-18 0C or stored in refrigerator at 4 0C. In this work we investigated the effects of ripening of Kajmak in refrigerator at 4 0C and at 16 0C up to 28 days on protein profiles, fatty acid profiles and health fatty indices. Ripening temperature significantly affects protein and fatty acid profiles of Kajmak. Ripening at low temperature induces slow proteolysis, the change of fatty acid profile and health fatty acid indices. At low temperature the most susceptible to proteolysis was β-casein. Due to similar fatty acid profiles, these samples were characterized with high health fatty acid indices such as atherogenicity index (3.81-4.03) and the thrombogenicity index (4.62-4.95). Ripening at 16 0C induces complete hydrolysis of κ-CN, significant decrease of αs- and β-CN content and improvement of health fatty indices.
