Major Free Fatty Acids of Feta Cheese

Abstract

A determination of the major free fatty acids (FFA), acetic through oleic, was carried out in ten samples of imported Feta cheese. Representative variants of Teleme and also mild- and sharp-flavored Feta were analyzed, using liquid partition and gas-liquid chromatography. A low total FFA value characterized all Teleme samples. The dominant acid (25–46%) was acetic. In the mild-flavored Feta samples the FFA varied considerably, but their total value was generally low. Again, the acetic acid comprised a high portion of the total acids (28–43%). In the sharp-flavored samples, moderate to excessive amounts of FFA were detected. The acetic acid content did not change but its ratio to the total FFA showed a sharp decrease (5–12%). The butyric acid content increased and its weight percentage was more than four times the reported average for the esterified acid. Increased levels of caproic, caprylic, capric, lauric, myristic, palmitic, and oleic acids also were encountered. With the exception of palmitic and stearic, found in lower percentages, the relative concentrations of all other acids approximated the ratios of their esterified counterparts in the milk fat. Relevance of the data to the flavor of the cheeses is discussed.