Comparison of chemical composition of organic and conventional Italian cheeses from parallel production

Abstract

Although there are several studies comparing organic and conventional milk characteristics, very few focused on dairy processed products such as cheese. Thus, this study aimed for a detailed controlled examination of gross composition, minerals, and the fatty acid profile of organic (ORG) and conventional (CON) Italian cheeses from parallel production. Four Italian cheese types were analyzed: 'Latteria' (ORG, n = 9; CON, n = 10); 'Asiago Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) fresco' (ORG, n = 9; CON, n = 9); 'Caciotta' (ORG, n = 8; CON, n = 8); and 'Mozzarella Traditional Specialties Guaranteed (TSG)' (ORG, n = 14; CON, n = 14). Cheese samples were collected from September 2020 to August 2021. Gross composition, minerals, and fatty acids were determined using infrared spectroscopy. Within each cheese type, paired ORG and CON samples were compared using a non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test. 'Latteria' showed lower PUFA, n-3, and n-6 content, and greater Fe, K, C10:0, C12:0, and C16:0 content in ORG than CON (P < 0.05). 'Asiago PDO fresco' showed lower protein and Zn content, and greater salt, ash, and Na content in ORG than CON (P < 0.05). 'Caciotta' showed lower ash, n-3, and n-6 content and greater K, C4:0, C8:0, C10:0, C14:0, and C16:0 content in ORG than CON (P < 0.05). 'Mozzarella TSG' showed lower fat and, therefore, fatty acids content, and greater moisture, ash, and Mg content in ORG than CON (P < 0.05). In conclusion, few significant differences in chemical composition were observed between ORG and CON cheeses, regardless of the type considered. Moreover, 'Asiago PDO fresco' showed fewer significant differences between ORG and CON when compared with 'Latteria', 'Caciotta', and 'Mozzarella TSG'.