Consumer-Packaged Cheese. I. Flavor Stability

Abstract

Summary Flavor changes in consumer-packaged Cheddar, processed Cheddar, and Swiss cheese during storage of the cheese in a refrigerated display case were investigated. Cheddar and Swiss cheese deteriorated relatively rapidly in flavor, whether or not exposed to fluorescent light, but the type of deterioration was different between light-exposed and light-protected cheese. Light exposure tended to hasten deterioration and to produce an oxidized type of flavor. Processed Cheddar cheese was relatively more resistant to flavor changes than natural cheese, particularly when protected from light. Generally, the rate and extent of flavor deterioration were related directly to the size of the cheese section and were individual cheese properties. Attempts to retard flavor deterioration included the use of a) 11 different film materials varying widely in quality, b) antioxidants, c) gas packaging, and d) coating of the cheese surface. Aluminum-laminated film and Uvinul D 49 (a film containing an ultraviolet light screening material) retarded the development of light-activated flavors, whereas coating the cheese surface with Myvacet 7-00 (distilled acetylated monoglycerides) retarded flavor deterioration in light-protected cheese. None of the other films and treatments provided effective protection against flavor changes in either light-exposed or light-protected cheese.