Detection of Adulteration in Cow, Goat, and Sheep Cheeses Utilizing Gas-Liquid Chromatographic Fatty Acid Data

Abstract

The fatty acid profiles of 134 cheeses of foreign and domestic origin were examined by programmed temperature GLC of the fatty acid butyl esters. Goat milk and sheep milk cheeses exhibited a characteristically different lower chain length fatty acid pattern than did the cow milk cheeses. The mean lauric:capric fatty acid (12:10) ratio for cow cheeses was 1.16, this is the same mean value previous calculated for 140 butters. The mean ratio for 10 goat milk cheeses was .46. The mean ratio for sheep cheeses (Roquefort) was .58. The 12:10 ratio was used to determine the presence of cow's milk in cheeses labeled goat or sheep milk cheeses. The ratio becomes proportionally larger with increased substitution of cow's milk in lieu of goat's or sheep's milk in the manufacture of cheeses.