Swiss Cheese Flavor Variability Based on Correlations of Volatile Flavor Compounds, Descriptive Sensory Attributes, and Consumer Preference.

Hardy Castada,Kaitlyn Hanas,Sheryl Barringer

doi:10.3390/foods8020078

Abstract

Minimizing flavor variation in cheeses without perceived flavor defects in order to produce a consistent product is a challenge in the Swiss cheese industry. This study evaluated flavor variability based on correlations of volatile flavor compounds and sensory attributes. The headspace concentrations of volatile compounds were analyzed using selected ion flow tube-mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS), while the sensory attributes were evaluated using descriptive sensory analysis and consumer testing. The important discriminating volatile compounds were classified into five functional groups: sulfur-containing compounds (methyl mercaptan, hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, and methional), organic acids (propanoic acid, acetic acid, 3-methylbutanoic acid), aldehydes (3-methylbutanal, butanal, and 2-methylpropanal), a ketone (2,3-butanedione), and an ester (ethyl hexanoate). Correlations were identified among volatile compounds and between volatile compounds and sensory attributes. Only a small number of volatile compounds strongly correlated positively or negatively to a specific sensory attribute. Nutty malty, milkfat lactone, salty, umami, and sweet positively correlated to overall liking and nutty flavor liking of Swiss cheese. Evaluation of cheese flavor using correlations between volatile compounds and sensory attributes provided further understanding of the complexity of flavor and flavor variability among Swiss cheeses manufactured from different factories that can be used to improve flavor consistency of Swiss cheeses.

Highlights

Flavor consistency is a challenging task for the Swiss cheese industry
The important discriminating volatile compounds were classified into five functional groups, namely sulfur-containing compounds, organic acids, aldehydes
The prevailing biochemical activities during the manufacture and ripening of cheese determine the volatile profile of cheese, but the activity of the pathways could be characteristically different for each factory, causing volatile flavor compound variation among Swiss cheeses

Summary

Introduction

Flavor consistency is a challenging task for the Swiss cheese industry. The biochemical events occurring during cheese ripening involve complex microbiological and physicochemical changes to the curd that give the characteristic flavor and aroma of a particular cheese variety [4,5,6]. Swiss cheese after 60 days or more of curing and ripening becomes more aromatic as the cheese ages with its characteristic eyes formed by CO2(g) [6,7,8]. High impact key volatile compounds were determined to discriminate Swiss cheese samples from different manufacturers using odor activity values (OAVs) [9]. OAV is defined as the concentration of a compound divided by its odor or sensory threshold value. Compounds with concentrations greater than their odor or sensory threshold value are considered to be key, high impact

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