Terms Of Free Fatty Acids Research Articles

Study on the Frying Performance Evaluation of Refined Soybean Oil after PLC Enzymatic Degumming.

It is known that phospholipase C (PLC) enzymatic degumming can hydrolyze phospholipids into diacylglycerol (DAG), which improves the efficiency of oil processing. However, it is unclear whether the presence of DAG and the use of enzymes affect the performance of the oil. This paper evaluated the frying performance of PLC-degummed refined soybean oil. Following the chicken wings and potato chips frying trials, results revealed that after 30 cycles of frying, free fatty acid (FFA) levels were 0.22% and 0.21%, with total polar compounds (TPC) at 23.75% and 24.00%, and peroxide value (PV) levels were 5.90 meq/kg and 6.45 meq/kg, respectively. Overall, PLC-degummed refined soybean oil showed almost the same frying properties as traditional water-degummed refined oil in terms of FFA, PV, TPC, polymer content, viscosity, color, foaming of frying oils, and appearance of foods. Moreover, FFA, TPC, polymer content, foaming, and color showed significant positive correlations with each other (p < 0.05) in soybean oil intermittent frying processing.

Evaluating the effect of cardamom on lipolysis in heat desiccated milk product (khoa)

The present study was carried out in two phases. In phase one optimization for the stage, form and rate of the addition of cardamom to control lipolysis was carried out. The prepared khoa was packed in polypropylene (PP) containers and stored at 7±1°C and/or 15±1°C. During storage, khoa samples were evaluated at an interval of 48 hours for acceptability by sensory analysis and monitored for lipolytic changes in terms of free fatty acids (FFA) content. Based on the highest sensory acceptability and ability to control lipolysis, that stage, form and rate of addition of cardamom were selected. khoa prepared by adding fine particles of cardamom in milk at the rate of 0.3 per cent significantly control the lipolysis and maintain the flavour when stored at 7±1°C and/or 15±1°C in PP containers. In the phase two, the selected method of addition of cardamom has been used in the preparation of khoa and evaluated for chemical and sensory characteristics of khoa. The chemical characteristics, rheological properties as well as sensory evaluation of control and cardamom treated fresh samples of khoa were statistically non-significant.

Penambahan Bunga Marigold (Tagetes Erecta L.) Sebagai Antioksidan Alami untuk Memperlambat Tingkat Ketengikan Virgin Coconut Oil

Virgin Coconut Oil or VCO will experience a decrease in quality due to oxidation, which cause rancidity. Adding antioxidants to VCO can help slow down the rancidity of the oil. This study aimed to determine the effect of adding marigold flowers on VCO in terms of free fatty acids (FFA) and water content as well as the functional groups contained in VCO. The VCO preparation technique was carried out without heating followed by the addition of marigold flowers with a ratio of VCO and marigold flowers of 100:1; 100:2.5; 100:5 w/w. The VCO without the addition of marigold flowers used as a control. The results indicated that the addition of marigold flowers could improve the quality of the VCO, characterized by a decrease in FFA levels and water content. The functional groups of VCO with the best quality (a ratio of VCO and marigold flowers of 100:1) were analyzed by FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), namely OH, CH¬3, C=O, aliphatic C=C, and aliphatic C≡C.

Evaluation of regulated deficit irrigation strategies for oil olives: A case study for two modern Israeli cultivars

Profits from olive oil production are expected to benefit from regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) regimes designed to optimize yield and oil quality with minimal inputs of water. We evaluated a number of potential strategies for implementing RDI including choosing phenological periods for reduced irrigation, use of midday stem water potential (SWP) for scheduling, considering fruit load, and irrigation to reach optimal fruit water content at harvest. We base our discussion on the potentials and challenges of practical commercial RDI regimes on results from a 6-year orchard experiment on two olive oil cultivars used in intensive orchards ('Barnea' and 'Askal') in Israel, focusing on attempts for long-tern optimization of yield and oil quality. Results showed a general trend of increased water productivity as a function of reduced irrigation but since yields tended to be reduced when irrigation was decreased, there was not a clear benefit of RDI over sustained deficit irrigation. The exception to this was a treatment based on SWP where water application was reduced by some 40% compared to irrigation regimes bringing highest yields, and a non-significant accumulated yield reduction of less than 15% after 6 years in both cultivars. Oil quality, measured in terms of free fatty acids and polyphenol content, was often improved when irrigation was decreased, with no dependence on the seasonal timing of deficit amounts and increased tree water stress.

Development of spicy flavored virgin coconut oil by incorporating a mixture of spices oleoresins

Lipid oxidation is a major cause of deterioration in the quality of cooking oils. Degradation of unsaturated fatty acids in oils directly leads to changes in nutritional value, flavor, and storage properties. Oleoresins of ginger, garlic, nutmeg, pepper, cloves, and cinnamon were extracted and incorporated into virgin coconut oil (VCO) to overcome adverse effects of lipid oxidation and changes occurrence on physicochemical properties, thermal stability, shelf life, antioxidant activity, total phenolics and sensory evaluation were conducted against same properties of VCO. Lipid oxidation was assessed in terms of free fatty acid (FFA) value and peroxide value (PV). For the comparison purpose, another oil sample was prepared by incorporating vitamin E too. Results revealed that both PV and FFA of VCO and spicy flavored oil (SFO) samples after one-week storage period were 1.93 ± 0.01 and 1.62 ± 0.02 mEq/kg and 0.36 ± 0.01 and 0.24 ± 0.01 (%) respectively. Saponification value (SV), iodine value (IV), smoke point, flashpoint, viscosity, and the specific gravity of SFO were increased and there was no significant difference in moisture content and insoluble impurities in SFO and VCO. The highest phenolic content and DPPH free radical scavenging activity were found in SFO. The thermal stability of SFO was better than VCO. Both oleoresins and vitamin E incorporated samples showed the same pattern of increment of FFA and PV during storage; however, those increments were slower than VCO. SFO was highly accepted by the sensory panelists in terms of color, aroma, taste, texture, and overall acceptability.

High Quality Oil Extracted from Sardine By‐Products as an Alternative to Whole Sardines: Production and Refining

Sardine (S) and sardine by‐product (SBP) oils are produced and refined in the interest of grading the potential by‐products as raw materials for the production of fish oil high in both quality and nutritional value. The oils are compared throughout different stages of refining in terms of free fatty acid (FFA), peroxide (PV), p‐anisidine (pAV), total oxidation (TOTOX), thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS), tocopherol content, fatty acid profile, and volatile components. The results of quality parameters FFA, PV, pAV, TOTOX, and TBARS of crude S are determined as 3.13% oleic acid, 5.91 meq O2/kg, 18.46, 30.29 and 1.27 µm g−1 while for SBP they were 2.94% oleic acid, 4.81 meq O2/kg, 17.66, 27.28, and 2.86 µm g−1, respectively. The refining enhances the quality parameters without a loss of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are 39.5 and 40.46% in refined S and SBP oil, respectively. The nutritional n‐6/n‐3 is 0.09 in both oils. Volatile compounds of the oils are quantified (in mg kg−1) and the major components are 2,4‐heptadienal, pentadecane, 2,4‐decadienal, 2,4‐nonadienal, and docecane. The results clearly show that the sardine by‐products can be used as an alternative source of PUFAs, contributing to waste management and sustainable fisheries.Practical Application: The utilization of by‐products as a source of valuable compounds such as fish oil and omega‐3 will help improve waste management, allowing for fish the industry to benefit economically with isolated compounds having numerous applications in the food and feed production, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.Quality parameters, fatty acid composition and volatiles of oils produced from whole sardine and sardine canning industry by‐products are compared throughout production and chemical refining. A high potential of by‐products as raw materials for the production of fish oil high in both quality and nutritional value is demonstrated. Both oils have good quality characteristics which would ensure their competitiveness with commercial fish oils and could be used as a very good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Cellular characterization of human epicardial adipose tissue: highly expressed PAPP-A regulates insulin-like growth factor I signaling in human cardiomyocytes.

Little is known about the cellular biology of fat surrounding the human heart. In this study, we obtained paired samples of epicardial fat, the visceral fat depot attached to the heart, and subcutaneous skin fat from patients undergoing open heart surgery to test the hypothesis that human epicardial fat cells differentially express bioactive molecules that have the potential to affect cardiac function. First, we characterized the free fatty acids (FFAs), adipocytokines, and growth factors secreted by isolated adipocytes and preadipocytes in cell culture. There was little to distinguish the fat cell secretory products in terms of FFAs and adipocytokines. The most striking finding was that preadipocytes from epicardial adipose tissue expressed high levels of pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A (PAPP‐A), a novel metalloproteinase that enhances local insulin‐like growth factor (IGF) action through cleavage of inhibitory IGF binding protein‐4 (IGFBP‐4). PAPP‐A levels were 15‐fold higher in conditioned medium from epicardial preadipocytes than from subcutaneous preadipocytes (P < 0.0001). PAPP‐A was not expressed in mature adipocytes. Next we determined whether PAPP‐A could affect IGF‐I signaling in a human cardiomyocyte cell line. IGF‐I activated receptor‐mediated auto‐phosphorylation, and this was blocked by wild‐type and protease‐resistant IGFBP‐4. Addition of PAPP‐A induced cleavage of wild‐type, but not protease‐resistant, IGFBP‐4 thereby restoring IGF‐I action. A proteolytically defective PAPP‐A had no effect. IGF‐I receptor‐mediated signaling through the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase pathway was similarly inhibited by IGFBP‐4 and restored by PAPP‐A. Thus, human epicardial fat cells differentially express PAPP‐A, which has the potential to affect IGF signaling in the heart.

Stabilization of rice bran milling fractions using microwave heating and its effect on storage

Rice bran tends to become rancid during storage if it is not stabilized. In commercial rice mills, bran is removed in phases using battery of polishers and different fractions of rice bran are produced. The stabilization reduces peroxidase, lipases, lipoxygenase and auto-oxidation enzymatic activities. The bran fractions were stabilized by continuous microwave heating at different treatment combinations (850, 925 and 1000W; 3, 4.5 and 6min) and stability of bran fractions were analysed in terms of Free Fatty Acid (FFA), Acid value (AV) and Peroxide value (PV) for 90days at the interval of 15days. As power and exposure time increases the FFA, AV and PV are found to be low during storage period. The rancidity level was high in last milling bran fraction and as milling progressed, the rancidity level also increased and it was similar throughout the storage. The bran fractions processed at 925W to 3min found to be the suitable condition for stabilization of rice bran milling fractions.

Changes in pasting properties and free fatty acids of different brown rice cultivar during storage

Paddy rice is typically stored during postharvest until rice grain is processed into brown rice and milled rice by hulling and milling procedure, respectively. Recently, instead of storing paddy rice, storage of brown rice has been in the spotlight because it is more convenient and economically feasible. Different brown rice cultivars with varying amylose contents including waxy rice, medium-waxy rice, and non-glutinous rice were stored in room temperature storage for four months, and the changes in grain qualities of brown rice were evaluated. Amylose content significantly affected pasting properties in which rice cultivar with higher amylose content showed longer pasting time and higher peak viscosity. Storage also affected pasting viscosities, showing an increase in peak viscosity, but a decrease in breakdown viscosity. The changes in pasting viscosity during storage could be an important starch property for aged brown rice utilization. Waxy brown rice showed the weakest aging property in terms of free fatty acids (FFA) accumulation, whereas non-glutinous rice was more substantial grain quality against aging. The FFA values of two months storage were not significantly different from the initial FFA contents, suggesting that brown rice stored in room temperature for two months could be feasible for direct consumption of brown rice.

Oxidative stability, thermal stability and acceptability of coconut oil flavored with essential oils from black pepper and ginger.

The present study investigates the oxidative and thermal stability of flavoured oils developed by incorporating essential oils from black pepper and ginger to coconut oil (CNO) at concentrations of 0.1 and 1.0% (CNOP-0.1, CNOP-1, CNOG-0.1, CNOG-1). The stability of oils were assessed in terms of free fatty acids, peroxide, p-anisidine, conjugated diene and triene values and compared with CNO without any additives and a positive control with synthetic antioxidant TBHQ (CNOT). It was found that the stability of CNOP-1 and CNOG-1 were comparable with CNOT at both study conditions. The possibility of flavoured oil as a table top salad oil was explored by incorporating the same in vegetable salad and was found more acceptable than the control, on sensory evaluation. The synergetic effect of essential oil as a flavour enhancer and a powerful natural antioxidant that can slow down the oxidation of fats was established in the study.

Efficient solvent-less separation of lipids from municipal wet sewage scum and their sustainable conversion into biodiesel

A very efficient separation of lipids from wet sewage scum was optimised and positively tested on samples taken from several wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). By simply heating sewage scum at 353 K and centrifuging the heated mass at 4000 rpm per 1 min, a recoverability of 93–99% of total oils was always obtained. This procedure resulted to be effective on samples with very different starting water contents. In all cases, extracted lipids have a very similar composition in terms of free fatty acids (FFAs), calcium soaps (32–40%wt) and glycerides (mono-, di- and tri-glycerides were practically absents), as well as fatty acid profiles. Once separated, lipids were converted into biodiesel through a direct esterification process carried out by adopting three sequential batch reactors, in which methanol and catalysts were charged in counter current. In this way, the complete conversion (>99%) of starting FFAs into FAMEs was perfectly matched with using the minimum amount of reactants under very mild conditions (345 K, 2 h). The overall convenience of the process was completed by the anaerobic digestion of fibrous residues obtained from centrifugation of starting sewage scum: the final biogas resulted largely enough to sustain the heat of process.

Storage Stability of Refined Oil From Lake Victoria Nile Perch (Lates Niliticus) Viscera

Nile perch (Lates niloticus) viscera oil was extracted by wet rendering method and refined by neutralization, deodorization and winterization. After winterization, the oil was decanted and separated by filtration into a low melting point fraction (LMPF) and a high melting point fraction (HMPF). The two fractions were used to carry out storage stability study. Each fraction was stored at room temperature (19 – 23oC) for a period of 20 weeks in transparent and amber colored glass containers. The oil fractions were subjected to quality tests to assess their storage stability. The effects of package color and storage duration were assessed by analyzing for the content of free fatty acids (FFA) as oleic acid and the peroxide value (PV) at the beginning of storage and at intervals of two weeks during storage. The resulting data were subjected to statistical analysis (p ≤ 0.05) using GenStat software, 13th edition. There was a general increase in FFA and PV, with significant differences between oil fractions and package color over storage time. For FFA, there was no interaction between the oil fraction and package color while for PV there was significant interaction between the oil fraction and package color. FFA increased from 0.26% to 0.59% for LMPF in clear package, 0.26 – 0.43% for LMPF in red package, 0.22 – 0.85% for HMPF in clear package, and 0.22 – 0.69% for HMPF in red package. PV increased from 0.50 mEq O2/kg oil to 11.65 mEq O2/kg oil for LMPF in clear package, from 0.5058 mEq O2/kg oil to 10.58 mEq O2/kg oil for LMPF in red package, from 1.01 mEq O2/kg oil to 9.94 mEq O2/kg oil for HMPF in clear package, after 20 weeks, and from 1.01 mEq O2/kg oil – 6.86 mEq O2/kg oil for HMPF in red package after 14 weeks. The levels of FFA and PV of LMPF in colored package remained within the CODEX limits of 0.3% and 5 mEq O2/kg oil respectively for refined fish oils up to 18 weeks. The FFA of HMPF surpassed the limit after 6 and 10 weeks for transparent and colored packages respectively. The FFA of LMPF in transparent package surpassed the limit after 8 weeks. Only low melting point oil fraction in transparent pack had PV above limit at 18 weeks. Results showed that colored package is more suitable for both oil fractions studied. In terms of FFA and PV, HMPF and LMPF can retain good quality at ambient temperatures for 10 and 18 weeks respectively.

Plasma Modified Membrane for Daily Recovery of Oil from Repeated Frying Operation with Frequent Oil Replenishment

AbstractSunflower oil was used for deep frying of potatoes at 170 ± 5 °C and for 8 h per day for 5 days in a fryer with an automatic oil filtration system. Three different frying operations were performed: operation (OP)‐1, OP‐2 and OP‐3; that correspond to the oil unfiltered at the end of each frying day, the oil filtered through the fryer's own filter (passive filtration) and the oil firstly subjected to passive filtration and then filtered through a polyethersulfone membrane modified with hexamethyldisiloxane via radio frequency plasma (75 W‐5 min, discharge power–time), respectively. The performance of each operation was investigated in terms of free fatty acids (FFA), conjugated dienoic acids (CD), TOTOX value, total polar content (TPC), Hunter color, viscosity, fatty acid composition, and tocopherol content. The results showed that OP‐3 could decrease FFA, CD, TOTOX, TPC, L*a*b* value, viscosity and linoleic acid (18:2)/palmitic acid (16:0) ratio in 29.6, 11.7, 25, 30.8, 6.1*11.3*20.8*, 7.8, 12.2 %, respectively, compared to the unfiltered oil (OP‐1). Regenerated oil from OP‐3 had a frying life approximately 17 h more than oils from both OP‐1 and OP‐2.

Solid Liquid Extraction of Jatropha Seeds by Microwave Pretreatment and Ultrasound Assisted Methods

Jatropha curcas has a variety of uses which are of great economic significance. Jatropha oil can be used as fuel alternative and for making biodiesel that is supposed to overcome the source limitation problem. In this study, conventional, ultrasound assisted and microwave pretreatment solid liquid extraction of Jatropha seed were studied in terms of amount and quality of the extracted oil. The free fatty acid content which is an important oil quality index was also investigated for the obtained oil. Both ultrasonication and microwave pretreatment of the seeds had a positive effect on amount of yield. However, by application of ultrasound, more oil could be extracted compared with that obtained by conventional and microwave pretreatment extraction methods. The maximum amount of oil which could be extracted by conventional, ultrasound assisted and microwave pretreatment methods were 47.33, 51.4 and 49.36%, respectively. Regarding the quality, oil extracted by conventional, ultrasound assisted and micmicrowave pretreatment extraction methods did not show any significant difference in terms of Free Fatty Acids (FFA) content.

Breast is best?

Human milk is considered the preferred nutritional source for the preterm infant. When mother's milk is not available, pasteurized donor milk can be an alternative choice. In this issue of The Journal, Valentine et al examine the effects of pasteurization on the nutritional content of donor milk. The authors did not find any significant effect of the pasteurization process on the total amino acid and fatty acid contents in donor milk. However, they note that the concentration of the omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in their US Mid-West donor milk population was less than one-half the DHA content previously reported in milk obtained from other women eating “western” diets (and strikingly less than women eating fish-predominant diets). DHA has important developmental benefits for preterm infants. Prior work has pointed out that exclusively breast milk fed preterm infants are at risk for incomplete DHA accumulation by term-corrected age. Although human milk is frequently fortified, supplementation of DHA is not commonly provided. The current study highlights how regional differences in maternal diets can put infants at even greater risk for DHA deficiency. Article page 906 ▸ Docosahexaenoic Acid and Amino Acid Contents in Pasteurized Donor Milk are Low for Preterm InfantsThe Journal of PediatricsVol. 157Issue 6PreviewTo evaluate whether pasteurized donor human milk meets the nutritional needs of preterm infants in terms of free fatty acid and amino acid contents. Full-Text PDF

Docosahexaenoic Acid and Amino Acid Contents in Pasteurized Donor Milk are Low for Preterm Infants

To evaluate whether pasteurized donor human milk meets the nutritional needs of preterm infants in terms of free fatty acid and amino acid contents. Milk samples were prospectively collected from 39 donors to the Mothers' Milk Bank of Ohio. The fatty acid and amino acid compositions in donor milk samples were measured before and after pasteurization, and values were compared with previously published findings and preterm infant nutrition guidelines. The nutritional adequacy of donor milk for preterm infants was based on estimated daily intake of 150 mL/kg. Statistical significance was adjusted to account for multiple comparisons. Pasteurization did not appreciably affect donor milk composition. Docosahexaenoic acid level (0.1 mol wt %), and concentrations of glycine, aspartate, valine, phenylalanine, proline, lysine, arginine, serine, and histidine in donor milk were all significantly lower than previously reported concentrations in milk. Donor milk is not substantially affected by pasteurization, but has low concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid and amino acids. Targeted nutritional supplementation of human donor milk for feeding preterm infants might be warranted.

Frying Performance of Palm-Based Solid Frying Shortening

In order to evaluate the frying performance of palm-based solid frying shortening against standard olein, the fresh potato chips were fried in both frying media using an open fryer. After frying the chips for 40 h in an open batch fryer, it was found that the frying quality of palm-based solid frying shortening was better than standard palm olein in terms of Free Fatty Acid (FFA) values, Total Polar Content (TPC) and Total Polymeric Material (TPM). Solid shortening gave FFA, TPC and TPM values of 0.7, 15.3 and 2.67%, respectively, whilst standard palm olein gave values for FFA, TPC and TPM of 1.2, 19.6 and 3.10%, respectively. In terms of sensory mean scores, sensory panelists preferred the color of potato chips fried in solid shortening on the first day of frying, while on the third and fifth day of frying there were no significant differences (p < 0.05) in the sensory scores of fried products in both frying mediums. However, on the fifth day of frying, panelists gave higher scores in terms of taste, flavor and crispness for potato chips fried in solid shortening. These findings show that the palm-based solid shortening is better than palm olein when used for deep fat frying in terms of FFA values, total polar content and total polymeric material, especially for starch-based products such as potato chips. The result also shows that, in terms of sensory mean scores, after frying for 40 h, the sensory panelists gave higher scores in terms of taste, flavor and crispiness for potato chips fried in palm-based solid shortening.

Accelerated Fatty Acid Oxidation in Muscle Averts Fasting-induced Hepatic Steatosis in SJL/J Mice

The accumulation of triglycerides (TG) in the liver, designated hepatic steatosis, is characteristically associated with obesity and insulin resistance, but it can also develop after fasting. Here, we show that fasting-induced hepatic steatosis is under genetic control in inbred mice. After a 24-h fast, C57BL/6J mice and SJL/J mice both lost more than 20% of body weight and approximately 60% of total body TG. In C57BL/6J mice, TG accumulated in liver, producing frank steatosis. In striking contrast, SJL/J mice failed to accumulate any hepatic TG even though they lost nearly as much adipose tissue mass as the C57BL/6J mice. Mice from five other inbred strains developed fasting-induced steatosis like the C57BL/6J mice. Measurements of the uptake of free fatty acids (FA) in vivo and in vitro demonstrated that SJL/J mice were protected from steatosis because their heart and skeletal muscle took up and oxidized twice as much FA as compared with C57BL/6J mice. As a result of this muscle diversion, serum-free FA and ketone bodies rose much less after fasting in SJL/J mice as compared with C57BL/6J mice. When livers of SJL/J and C57BL/6J mice were perfused with similar concentrations of FA, the livers took up and esterified similar amounts. We conclude that SJL/J mice express one or more variant genes that lead to enhanced FA uptake and oxidation in muscle, thereby sparing the liver from FA overload in the fasting state.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of soybean oil using lipase from different sources to yield concentrated of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The ability of three commercially available lipases to mediate the hydrolysis of the soybean oil to yield concentrated of essential fatty acids was evaluated. The tested lipases were from microbial (Candida rugosa and Thermomyces lanuginosa) and animal cells (Porcine pancreatic lipase). In terms of free fatty acids, microbial lipases were more effective to promote the enzymatic hydrolysis of the soybean oil (over 70%) than the porcine pancreatic lipase (24%). In spite of this, porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL) showed the most satisfactory specificity towards both essential fatty acids and was, therefore, chosen to carry out additional studies. An experimental design was performed taking into consideration the enzyme and NaCl amounts as independent variables. The main effects were fitted by multiple regression analysis to a linear model and maximum fatty acids concentration could be obtained using 3.0wt% of lipase and 0.08wt% of NaCl. The mathematical model representing the hydrolysis degree was found to describe adequately the experimental results. Under these conditions, concentrations of 29.5g/L and 4.6g/L for linoleic and linolenic acids, respectively, were obtained.

Characterization of the volatile fraction and of free fatty acids of “Fontina Valle d’Aosta”, a protected designation of origin Italian cheese

The characterization of the volatile fraction of 24 samples of “Fontina Valle d’Aosta”, a protected designation of origin (PDO) semi-hard Italian cheese, was performed using the dynamic headspace extraction technique coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Seventy-four volatile compounds, belonging to several chemical classes, mainly alcohols, sulfur and carboxylic compounds, were identified, allowing characterization of the distinct flavour of “Fontina Valle d’Aosta PDO” cheese. The characterization of the cheese was done also in terms of free fatty acids and the mechanism of formation of some classes of compounds is considered. Determinations of fat, N-Kjeldhal and dry matter were also carried out in order to obtain a more complete description of the properties of this PDO Italian cheese.