Abstract
The implementation of quality assurance schemes for the assessment of PDO food authenticity is an issue involving manufacturers, traders, retailers and consumers. In this respect, reliable analytical methods are needed to integrate paper-trailing information. The feasibility of distinguishing the Italian Fontina PDO cheese from the generic Fontal cheese was preliminarily evaluated on a set of commercial samples by measuring selected parameters (pH, alkaline phosphatase activity, content of copper, volatiles, extent of proteolysis) related to the different manufacturing processes. The relative profile of free amino acids proved to be a promising tool. A new set of 41 samples of Fontina PDO cheese was collected at representative dairies within the recognized production area and analyzed for free amino acids. A chemometric model of Fontina PDO cheese was built based on the mean content and standard deviation of 15 free amino acids. On this basis, all of the PDO samples were correctly identified, whereas all of the Fontal cheeses were recognized as different cheeses.
Highlights
Fontina is a traditional Italian PDO cheese produced in the Valle D’Aosta region, on the north-west side of the Alps
Forty-one samples of Fontina PDO cheese ripened for 90 to 120 days were collected at 15 dairies located in different areas of Valle D’Aosta and were considered as the reference samples for building the chemometric model characterizing Fontina cheese based on their free amino acid composition
Fontina PDO is characterized by a reddish sticky surface, naturally formed by the microflora of the surrounding environment which colonizes the rind during the ripening period [3]
Summary
Fontina is a traditional Italian PDO cheese produced in the Valle D’Aosta region, on the north-west side of the Alps. Raw cow’s milk is added with autochthonous strains of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactococcus lactis supplied by the Consortium exclusively to Fontina cheese manufacturers [2], and is coagulated at 36 ◦C with calf rennet. The cheese wheels are matured on wooden shelves in local caves (5–12 ◦C and 95% relative humidity) for a minimum of three months. During this period, cheeses are salted by repeated washings with a saturated NaCl solution. This practice promotes the development of a typical microflora on the surface of the cheese which is responsible for the viscous red-brown smear of the rind [3]
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