Semi-hard Goat Cheese Research Articles

Semi-hard goat cheese ripened in oil

Semi-hard goat cheese ripened in oil

Effect of dietary cold-pressed hempseed cake on the fatty acid profile of semi-hard cheese made from goat milk

Recently, many feedstuffs have been introduced to animal diets to increase the content of beneficial fatty acids in dairy products. Therefore, this study aimed to research the effect of including hempseed cake in dairy goats concentrate mixtures on the chemical composition and fatty acid profile of semi-hard goat cheese that is traditionally produced on family farm. The feeding of goats was based on meadow hay ad libitum and 1200 g/day/head of concentrate mixture. In the first experimental group, 60 g/kg DM of hempseed cake (HSC-60) was administered; meanwhile, in the second experimental group, 120 g/kg DM of hempseed cake (HSC-120) was included in the diet. The chemical composition of cheese was mostly unaffected by enriching the goats’ nutrition with hempseed cakes. Dietary HSC-120 increased C18:1 n-9 and C18:3 n-6 compared to the control, and increased C22:6 n-3 in cheese compared to HSC- 60, although both HSC-120 and HSC-60 lowered n-6/n-3 ratios in cheese. Feeding goats with HSC-120 may have contributed to the development of the functional properties of semi-hard goat cheese made on family farm, as compared to the cheese produced by goats fed with commercial concentrate mixtures.

Sensory Profile of Semi-Hard Goat Cheese Preserved in Oil for Different Lengths of Time

The aim of this study was to investigate the sensory profile of semi-hard goat cheese preserved in an oil mixture (extra virgin olive oil from Mljet and refined sunflower oil; 50:50). Five batches of cheese were made, and each batch was divided into three groups: (i) ripening in air (group 1—control group), (ii) ripening in oil after 10 days of ripening in air (group 2), (iii) ripening in oil after 20 days of ripening in air (group 3). After 60 days of ripening, quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) was performed by six trained experts and texture was analyzed with a texture analyzer. The correlations between the descriptive sensory scores of texture and the texture analyzer results were significantly related. Compared to the control group, the oil-ripened cheeses had significantly (p < 0.05) higher oily odor and taste intensity and greater elasticity and stickiness determined by fingers, but thinner rind, lower cross-sectional color intensity, and lower crumbliness in the mouth. Ripening in oil improved rind thickness, taste, texture, and cross-sectional properties. Group 3 cheeses were preferred in terms of appearance, cross-section, odor, and taste, suggesting that prolonged ripening in air before immersion in oil positively affected the sensory characteristics of the cheese.

The influence of ripening of semi-hard goat cheese in oil on its physicochemical composition and sensory properties

The aim of this paper was to determine the influence of ripening of semi-hard goat cheese in oil (mixture of Mljet's extra-virgin olive oil and refined sunflower oil; 50:50) on its physicochemical composition and sensory properties, as well as to determine the optimal time of immersion of the cheese in oil. Five batches of cheeses were produced, and the cheeses of the same batch were randomly divided into 3 groups according to the ripening method: (1) ripening in air (control group, treatment 1), (2) ripening in oil after 10 d of ripening in air (treatment 2), (3) ripening in oil after 20 d of ripening in air (treatment 3). Cheeses were sampled during ripening at d 0, 10, 20, 30, 45, and 60, and physicochemical analyses were performed. Oil as a ripening medium for cheese prevented water loss from the cheese (groups 2 and 3), and the significantly lowest contents of dry matter, protein, fat, saturated fatty acids (SFA), unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), oleic acid, and salt were found in group 2. Group 3 had the highest contents of fat, SFA, UFA, and oleic acid. Prolonged ripening of the cheese in air before immersion in oil resulted in greater water loss and the formation of such cheese structure that allowed oil to penetrate the cheese. Water retention and oil penetration into the cheese altered the physicochemical composition of the goat cheese, having a significantly positive effect on the sensory characteristics, particularly color, texture, and taste, allowing the cheese to be consumed even when goat milk is not produced due to seasonality.

Chemical, textural and organoleptic characteristics of Greek semihard goat cheese made with different starter cultures during ripening and storage

The present study investigated the cheesemaking technology of a semihard cheese made from goat milk and evaluated the influence of two starter cultures, the first consisting of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, and Streptococcus thermophilus and the second of Lc. lactis subsp. cremoris, Lc. lactis subsp. lactis, Str. thermophilus, and Lactobacillus helveticus. The cheesemaking technology included milk pasteurisation, starter culture incubation, milk clotting with liquid rennet, pressing and salting in brine, ripening and storage for 180 days. The composition, proteolysis, lipolysis, volatile compounds, antioxidant activity, organoleptic and textural properties of the cheeses were determined. The results showed that using the present cheesemaking technology, first quality semihard cheeses were produced, as defined by the Greek legislation (i.e., maximum moisture content 45% and minimum fat-in-dry matter content 40%). All cheeses received high scores during organoleptic evaluation. Both starter cultures can be used for its cheesemaking.

Effect of Lactose-Reduction in Murciano-Granadina Semi-Hard Goat Cheese on Physicochemical and Sensory Characteristics.

Semi-hard pressed goat's cheese, a traditional matured cheese in Andalusia, has a residual lactose content that may affect people with intolerance to that carbohydrate. Nowadays, lactose-free dairy products are characterized by presenting a scant sensory quality, far removed from their traditional profile for their pronounced sweet and bitter taste and aroma related to Maillard reactions. The aim of this work was to make a cheese with a similar sensory profile to that of the traditional Andalusian one but without lactose. For this purpose, the doses of the enzyme lactase that would be necessary to add to the milk were investigated so that, during the manufacturing of the cheese, there would remain enough lactose for the starter cultures to trigger lactic fermentation and, in turn, to spark the cheese's own maturity processes. The results show that the combined action of lactase (0.125 g/L, 0.250 g/L, 0.5 g/L, and 1 g/L) and of the lactic bacteria reduces the final content of lactose to below 0.01%, complying with the European Authority of Food Safety's recommendations for considering the cheeses as being under the denomination "lactose-free". The physicochemical and sensory values resulting from the different batches of cheese obtained indicate that the lowest dose studied (0.125 g/L) had very similar ones to those of the control cheese.

Physicochemical and textural characteristics and volatile compounds of semihard goat cheese as affected by starter cultures

Today, cheese is valued because of its high nutritional value and unique characteristics. Improving the texture and flavor of cheese by selecting suitable starter cultures is an important way to promote the development of cheese industry. The effect of starter cultures on the physicochemical and textural properties and volatile compounds during the ripening of semihard goat cheese were investigated in this work. Different starter cultures-mesophilic (M) and thermophilic starters (T), Lactobacillus plantarum ssp. plantarum ATCC 14917 (Lp), a mix of the M and T starters (M1), and mix of the M, T, and Lp starters (M2)-were used in the production of the goat cheeses. Volatile compounds were determined by a solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (SPME/GC-MS) method. The results showed that the moisture content of cheeses produced with the 5 kinds of starter cultures decreased after maturation, whereas ash content increased. The pH values of goat cheeses decreased first and then increased during maturity, and the pH value of M2 cheese was the lowest among the cheeses. The hardness and chewiness of the cheeses increased with increasing maturity, whereas cohesiveness, springiness, and resilience showed the opposite tendency. The 60-d-old cheese made with Lp had the highest chewiness, cohesiveness, springiness, and resilience, whereas the 60-d-old cheese made with M2 had the highest hardness. A total of 53 volatile components were identified by SPME/GC-MS, and carboxylic acids, alcohols, ketones, and esters were the 4 major contributors to the characteristic flavors of the cheeses. Volatile components and their contents differed greatly among the produced cheeses. The M2 cheese contained the highest relative content of the main volatile compounds (90.10%), especially butanoic acid and acetoin. Through a comprehensive comparison of the results, we concluded that M2 cheese had a dense texture and milky flavor, and M2 is a potential starter culture candidate for the production of goat cheese.

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Quality Attributes of Fresh and Semi-Hard Goat Cheese from Low- and High-Input Farming Systems.

Simple SummaryModern consumers are continuously more interested in animal food product qualities that could be considered both extrinsic and intrinsic. Goat products suitably match with these interests because of their functional properties, the ethics of the related livestock production, the environmental impact of production, and animal welfare issues. Through a combination of laboratory analysis and in-field observation, we found that the nutritional quality of goat cheese is affected by the livestock production system, but this is not always true when considering the intrinsic quality related to animal welfare aspects. For this reason, we suggest that more detailed information on different quality traits should be provided to consumers in order to allow them to reach a complete view of product quality and, consequently, to achieve more conscious food consumption.In this study, we investigated the lipid composition of fresh and semi-hard goat cheese produced in three Italian farms as well as the welfare assessment of goats reared in these farms. The fatty acid (FA) profile of cheese samples were found to be strictly related to the livestock system. Cheese collected from farms in which goats were allowed to graze and were fed diets with a higher forage/concentrate (F/C) ratio showed a FA profile represented by higher contents of health-promoting fatty acids. In the same samples, the health lipid indices showed the most favorable values. Conversely, cheese samples collected from a conventional-lowland farm, where goats were fed with higher amounts of concentrates and lower F/C ratio, presented a lower nutritional quality, characterized by the worst results for what concerns the health lipid indices. Then, we built a multivariate model able to discriminate samples coming from farms managed by a low-input system from those coming from farm managed by a high-input system. The comparison of animal welfare measurements and fatty acids data showed that a better intrinsic quality of low-input farms did not always correspond to better extrinsic quality, suggesting that the information on the livestock system is not always enough to provide consumers with complete awareness of the total product quality.

Improving the conjugated linoleic acid content and the sensorial characteristics of Argentinean semi-hard goat cheeses by adding cultures of native lactic acid bacteria

In this study the physicochemical, microbiological, and fatty acid compositions together with the specific esterase activities of semi-hard goat cheeses made from native strains as starter and adjunct cultures were evaluated and compared against those of manufactured using commercial culture cheeses. The physicochemical composition was similar among cheeses, while the lactic acid bacteria were the predominant microbiota in all samples. The highest specific esterase activities were detected in cheeses with native strains. The fatty acid profile was significantly affected by native strains during the ripening time (60 days) since the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) level increased from 0.60 to 1.03 g 100 g-1 of fatty acids, whereas cheeses with commercial starter showed a CLA content of about 0.60 g of fatty acids. In cheeses with native strains, it was detected the highest desirable fatty acids, Δ9-desaturase and CLA desaturase indexes and the lowest atherogenicity index. The native strains inoculated as starter and adjunct cultures, grew conveniently in the cheese, developed their full potential as reflected by the profile of the metabolites released during ripening and in the global sensory perception of cheeses, and contributed thus to the development of a healthier food.

Effect of different O2/CO2 permeable foils on aging of semi-hard goat cheese

The present study focuses on the effect of gas permeability on dry matter, colour, inner- and outer texture, and sensory properties of foil-ripened 0.5 kg semi-hard goat cheese during 3 weeks of ripening (13 °C; 88% relative humidity). The characteristics of the packaging foils applied were made of different materials and varied in thickness, gas permeability (CO2, O2) and water vapour permeability. All ripening foils decreased the inner lightness of samples after 3 weeks; however, yellowness was influenced by the gas permeation. The equalisation of outer- and inner hardness was measurable after 1 week of ripening; gas permeability contributed to the speeding up of this process. The difference between inner and outer elasticity declined until 1.5 weeks. Sensory evaluation revealed that the foil with permeabilities (cm3 m−2 24 h−1 1 atm−1) for O2, CO2 and water vapour of 400, 1250 and 15, respectively, contributed to best appearance, taste and texture.

English

Four batches of Armada semi-hard goat cheese were elaborated from pasteurized milk inoculated with a natural starter culture, constituted of two lactococci strains, combined with a Geotrichum candidum strain. The four G. candidum strains tested as co-starter were selected for their proteolytic and lipolytic activities. The effects of an autochthonous starter on physico-chemical, microbiological and sensorial characteristics during the ripening of this cheese were evaluated. The depth of proteolysis was very low, which confirms the presence of low-level aminopeptidase activity. Fungal population was involved in lipolysis. The cheeses elaborated with G. candidum strains developed a desirable flavour characteristic of goat cheese and a creamy texture. Cheeses from batch I (that included the strain of G. candidum with high lipolytic activity and low proteolytic activity) presented a hardness profile that differed from the others, as it was the batch with the highest scores at thirty days of ripening and was even the best evaluated at the end of ripening because of their odour, fresh balanced pleasant taste and creamy smooth texture. Key words: Cheese, starter culture, Geotrichum candidum, lactic acid bacteria.

Survival of Lactobacillus rhamnosus EM1107 in simulated gastrointestinal conditions and its inhibitory effect against pathogenic bacteria in semi-hard goat cheese

This study evaluated the viability of Lactobacillus rhamnosus EM1107 incorporated in semi-hard goat cheese (Coalho) when exposed to simulated gastrointestinal conditions, as well as the inhibitory effects of this strain against pathogenic bacteria in goat Coalho cheese during refrigerated storage. After in vitro digestion, no change in viable cell count of L. rhamnosus (6.75 log CFU/g) was observed compared with the count before simulation (6.53 log CFU/g). Against Staphylococcus aureus, L. rhamnosus exhibited inhibition rates of 1.55%, 1.7% and 21.66% at 7, 14 and 21 days of storage, respectively. Furthermore, against Salmonella Enteritidis, the inhibition rates were 4.36%, 5.33% and 5.51% at 7, 14 and 21 days of storage, respectively and against Listeria monocytogenes, the inhibition rates were 2.62%, 1.57% and 10.23% at 7, 14 and 21 days of storage, respectively. Against Escherichia coli, L. rhamnosus showed inhibition rate of 7.98% at 7 days of storage and no inhibitory effects at 14 and 21 days. The results indicate that goat Coalho cheese has a protective effect on the viability of L. rhamnosus EM1107 during artificial digestion. In addition, this strain could be used as a protective culture to delay the growth of pathogenic bacteria, particularly S. aureus and L. monocytogenes.

Further evidence for staphylococcal food poisoning outbreaks caused by egc-encoded enterotoxins.

Staphylococcal food poisoning represents the most prevalent foodborne intoxication worldwide. It is caused by oral intake of enterotoxins preformed by Staphylococcus aureus in food. The relevance of newly described enterotoxins in outbreaks of staphylococcal food poisoning is controversially discussed. Although the staphylococcal enterotoxins SEG, SEI, SEM, SEN, and SEO elicit emesis in a monkey feeding assay, there has been no conclusive proof of their emetic activity in humans. In this study, we provide further evidence suggesting that one of these enterotoxins or a combination of SEG, SEI, SEM, SEN, and SEO cause staphylococcal food poisoning. We investigated two outbreaks registered with the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, in which only Staphylococcus aureus strains harboring the egc cluster, including seg, sei, sem, sen, and seo linked to typical signs of staphylococcal food poisoning were isolated. The outbreaks were caused by consumption of raw goat cheese and semi-hard goat cheese, and were linked to strains assigned to CC45 (agr type I) and CC9 (agr type II), respectively. These outbreaks provide further evidence that newly-described staphylococcal enterotoxins are likely to cause staphylococcal food poisoning in humans.

Influence of autochthonous cultures on fatty acid composition, esterase activity and sensory profile of Argentinean goat cheeses

In the present work conjugated fatty acid content, atherogenicity index, esterase activity and sensory analysis of semi-hard goat cheeses manufactured with autochthonous starter and adjunct or commercial cultures were analyzed. The comparison of cheeses obtained with or without addition of autochthonous cultures reported statistically significant differences in the fatty acid profile and estersase activity that could be due to a different degree of lipolysis in the cheeses, but did not significantly affect the gross composition of cheeses. Short chain and polyunsaturated fatty acid content was higher in products with autochthonous than commercial cultures. The inclusion of these cultures into the artisanal cheese manufacture improves the conjugated fatty acid content, flavour and the atherogenicity index of the final product. Though, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) level, increased during ripening time in cheese containing autochthonous cultures from 0.6 to 1.0g/100g of fatty acids, offering for human consumers among 417–427mg/100g of cheese. Differences on esterase activity and atherogenicity index were also observed among cheeses, representing cheeses manufactured with autochthonous bacteria a healthier product than those elaborated with commercial cultures.

Addition of probiotic bacteria in a semi-hard goat cheese (coalho): Survival to simulated gastrointestinal conditions and inhibitory effect against pathogenic bacteria

In this study, the survival of the probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA-5), Lactobacillus casei subsp. paracasei (L. casei 01) and Bifidobacterium lactis (BB12) incorporated in a Brazilian semi-hard goat cheese (coalho) when exposed to in vitro simulated conditions of digestion was assessed. The inhibitory effects of these probiotic bacteria were also evaluated against Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus in the goat coalho cheese during refrigerated storage. At the end of the in vitro digestion, all of the probiotic tested strains presented decreased (p<0.05) viable cell counts (5.5–6.0logcfu/g) with respect to those determined before exposure to the mouth conditions (7–8logcfu/g). L. casei subsp. paracasei presented inhibition rate of 7.87% and 23.63% against S. aureus on the 14th and 21st day of storage at 10°C, respectively; against L. monocytogenes these values were 12.96 and 32.99%. Positive inhibition rates of B. lactis toward S. aureus were found on the 1st, 14th and 21st days of storage (16.32%, 10.12% and 3.67%, respectively); and against L. monocytogenes only on the 1st day of storage (3.28%). From these results, goat coalho cheese could be an interesting carrier of probiotic strains of L. acidophilus, L. casei subsp. paracasei and B. lactis. Moreover, L. casei subsp. paracasei, could be used as protective culture for delaying the growth of S. aureus and L. monocytogenes in goat coalho cheese.

Influence of autochthonous adjunct cultures on ripening parameters of Argentinean goat's milk cheeses

Argentinean semi-hard goat's cheeses manufactured with and without the addition of autochthonous adjunct cultures of Lactobacillus plantarum ETC17, Lactobacillus rhamnosus ETC14 and Enterococcus faecium ETC3 were analysed to evaluate the effect of these strains on ripening parameters. Gross composition was similar among cheeses. Microbiological analysis indicated that lactic acid bacteria added to cheeses reached high levels. None of the strains assayed affected the primary proteolysis. Overall, E. faecium had a clearer effect on the peptide and lipolysis profiles of cheeses. Analysis of the volatile fraction of cheeses indicated that the levels of several compounds involved in the overall flavour of goat's cheeses were affected by the presence of E. faecium. This could explain the differences detected in the global perception of cheeses made with this strain compared with control cheeses. The present work represents a first contribution to knowledge of the ripening process of Argentinean goat's cheeses made with the addition of autochthonous adjunct cultures. The results suggest that E. faecium ETC3 showed a significant effect during ripening, which was reflected both in the profiles of proteolysis, lipolysis and volatile compounds and in the global sensory perception of cheeses.

Technological, physicochemical and sensory characteristics of a Brazilian semi-hard goat cheese (coalho) with added probiotic lactic acid bacteria

Over the past few years, the use of probiotics, which are capable of exerting beneficial effects on the composition of intestinal microbiota, has increased. Cheeses have been suggested as a better carrier of probiotic bacteria than other fermented milk products. The effect of added cultures of probiotic lactic acid bacteria on the quality of a Brazilian goat semi-hard cheese (coalho) was assessed during 21 days of storage at 10 ºC as follows: C1, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and L. lactis subsp. Cremoris (standard cheese); C2, Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA-5); C3, Lactobacillus paracasei (Lactobacillus casei-01); C4, BBifidobacterium lactis (BB12); and C5, L. acidophilus, L. paracasei and B. lactis. Differences in some physico-chemical, experimental texture and proteolysis parameters were found among the assessed cheeses. All of them presented high luminosity (L*) with predominance of the yellow component (b*). Numbers of lactic acid bacteria in the cheeses were greater than 10(7) cfu g-1 during storage. Cheeses with the added probiotic strains alone and in co-culture were better accepted than cheeses without the probiotic strains. It is suggested that goat "coalho" cheese could be a potential carrier of probiotic lactic acid bacteria.

Development and quality of a Brazilian semi-hard goat cheese (coalho) with added probiotic lactic acid bacteria

The effects of the addition of different strains of lactic acid bacteria on different quality parameters of a Brazilian goat semi-hard cheese (coalho) were assessed during 7 days of storage (10°C) as follows: Control, Lactobacillus lactis subsp. lactis and L. lactis subsp. cremoris (standard); C2, L. acidophilus; C3, L. paracasei; C4, Bifidobacterium lactis; and C5, L. acidophilus, L. paracasei and B. lactis. There were no differences for the proteolysis index and depth of proteolysis among the assessed cheeses. The cheeses presented increase in hardness, gumminess and chewiness during the storage. Regarding the ability to melt, all evaluated cheeses showed a reduction in diameter. Cheeses presented high luminosity with predominance of the yellow component; and number of lactic bacteria greater than 106–107 cfu/g during the 7 days of storage. C5 had better sensory scores in the acceptance test, purchase intention and preference ranking test. Coalho goat cheese could be a potential carrier of probiotic lactic acid bacteria.

Incidence of autochthonous Argentinean mixed starter cultures in ripening of slurry cheese models

The effect of three mixed autochthonous starter cultures in ripening profiles of experimental semihard goat cheeses was evaluated under controlled microbiological conditions. Enterococcus faecium ETC3 and ETC6, Lactobacillus plantarum ETC17 and L. rhamnosus ETC14 were used. Combination of all strains showed the highest level of water soluble nitrogen fraction and total free amino acids (TFAA) at ripening day 1, the lowest level of phosphotungstic acid nitrogen soluble fraction and TFAA at ripening day 64 and the highest global impression. Principal component analyses were performed to establish amino acid profiles relations in the samples.

Changes in proteolysis and volatile fraction during ripening of Darfiyeh, a Lebanese artisanal raw goat's milk cheese

Abstract In order to contribute for the preservation of the Lebanese dairy heritage, the aim of this study was to characterize Darfiyeh cheese, a traditional variety made from raw goats’ milk and ripened in goat's skin. This research effort focused on following the changes in the physicochemical parameters of Darfiyeh throughout its ripening, with specific reference to the cheese-making procedure and ripening conditions. Three independent batches of Darfiyeh production, were processed at small scale cheese farming in Northern Lebanese mountains and were analysed after 20, 40 and 60 days of ripening. Compositional parameters such as moisture, fat in dry matter and chloride content were performed. Proteolysis was followed by determining soluble nitrogen at pH 4.6 and in 12% trichloroacetic acid. The results showed that Darfiyeh is a semi-hard goat cheese that undergoes a moderate proteolysis during ripening. Acidity index and fatty acid (FA) profile were also performed. The average acidity index of fat values increases continuously up to 60 days of ripening. The FA profile was similar to that reported for other goat cheeses in the literature. Short- and long-chain FAs groups were the variables that most contributed to sample differentiation, unexpectedly through their un-uniform behaviour. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was applied to study the volatile compounds in Darfiyeh. 16 volatile compounds (2 aldehydes, 8 alcohols, and 6 ketones) were identified. Our findings may be of possible concern for the dairy industry in imitating the peculiarities of artisanal cheeses made from raw milk.