Cheese Varieties Research Articles

Potencial biológico y estudio in vitro de la digestión de péptidos solubles de diferentes variedades de queso

CCurrently, the concern with quality of life has raised the consumption of health food promoters, and therefore, research in search of natural compounds that exercise biological activity have intensified in the last decade. The objective was to evaluate the antioxidant activities, chelating Fe2+ and Cu2+ ions, antihypertensive proteins and water-soluble peptides of buffalo and bovine rennet cheeses, gorgonzola, mozzarella, cheddar and ricotta. The antioxidant activities were performed using the radicals ABTS+ • (2,2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), Fe2+ and Cu2+ ions were used for chelating activity and the substrate FAPGG (N- [3- (2-furyl) acryloyl] -L-phenylalanine-glycyl-glycine) was used to evaluate the inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme. The water-soluble proteins and peptides from the different varieties of cheese had the capacity to eliminate ABTS+ • and DPPH• radicals higher than 50% and 80%, respectively. The chelation of the Fe2+ and Cu2+ ions occurred between 1% and 70%, depending on the type of cheese. The ACE inhibitory potential of the aqueous extracts containing the small protein fragments is between 8% and 50% before and after the action of the enzymes of the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, the cheeses analyzed have the potential to be used as functional foods due to the biological multifunctionality presented by proteins and peptides extracted.

Elongational flow studies of processed cheese spreads made from traditional greek cheese varieties

Five series of cheese spreads were prepared and pasteurized at either 92 or 98 °C. The basic ingredient of the samples was a blend of traditional greek cheeses i.e. Myzithra, a whey cheese and Feta cheese in proportion 0.9/0.1. The first series of samples contained only this mixture whereas the other series consisted of samples to which apart from the mixture of the cheeses, either UHT milk or water or olive oil were added in various proportions. The flow properties of the samples were studied by performing lubricated squeeze flow experiments. The results indicated that the elongational viscosity values exhibited, under steady conditions, by the samples were considerably lower to that of the sample contained only the blend of the two cheeses which was not heat treated. It was found that the various ingredients added to the samples affected their flow behavior in various degrees with the olive oil to cause the most noticeable changes. Creep experiments performed using the same samples supported, in general, the findings from the elongational flow measurements.

Assessment of microbiological quality in some cheese varieties in Egypt

This research was applied to evaluate microbiological quality of Kareish cheese and Mozzarella cheese. A total of 120 samples of marketed random samples of soft cheese (Kareish and Mozzarella) classified into (Raw and Pasteurized Kareish and Mozzarella shreds and blocks) of different brands (30 of each) were collected from different shops, street vendors and super markets at different Governorates in Egypt. All samples were examined microbiologically for detection the presence of Staphylococcus aureus, coliforms, E.coli, mould and yeast. The results revealed that the incidence of Staph. aureus, total coliform, E.coli, mould and yeast in raw Kareish , pasteurized Kareish and Mozzarella shreds were 73.3% ,0% and 23.3%, the total coliform were 100%,10% and 40% , E.coli were 86.7%, 16.6% and 16.6% , while mould incidence were 100%, 10% and 14% and yeast were 100% , 13.3% and 10%,respectively. All samples of Mozzarella blocks were free. In conclusion, it was observed that the hygienic quality of the examined cheese sold in dairy shops in Egypt was low and does not have enough assurance in terms of public health. These results emphasize the need for applying more strict hygienic practices especially during cheese processing to minimize microbial contamination.

Technological and Characteristics of Low-Fat Cheeses: A Review

Cheese is a dairy-product and obtained from milk by using starter cultures and enzymes to coagulate the milk through a chemical process. Cheese has one of the highest growth rates among dairy products manufactured in many countries. Cheese could be divided into two major categories based on the fat content, including full-fat cheese and reduced or low-fat cheese. The low-fat cheese term differs within cheese varieties, countries, and other factors. Generally, cheese with fat content less than the full-fat version is considered low-fat cheese for consumers. The consumption and marketing of low-fat cheeses have accelerated over the last two decades. Fat is important due to its major contribution to the flavor, body and texture of the cheese. Numerous low-fat cheeses are characterized as mild flavor, weak body and texture, and less functional characteristics. Intensive research on low-fat cheese has developed three basic strategies for addressing fat-related problems, such as modifications of procedures, adjunct cultures, and fat replacers. This work aim is to highlight and review the characteristics of two types of low-fat cheeses, such as low-fat process cheese (LFPC) and low-fat Cheddar cheese (LFCC).

Sensory profile of Parenica cheese varieties made from pasteurized cow's milk

Parenica is a steamed, lightly smoked or unsmoked cheese wounded into a roll made from pasteurized cow's milk, with characteristic pronounced fibrous structure of curd. The aim of this work was to set up the sensory profile of smoked and unsmoked parenica cheese varieties made from pasteurized cow's milk and changes in sensory descriptors during 14 days of storage period at the temperature of 4 ±2 °C. Descriptive analysis was carried out by 18 trained assessors, who used a vocabulary of 26 terms to quantitatively describe appearance, aroma, consistency and taste of the experimental samples and also these overall sensory parameters with acceptability. Assessors evaluated the intensity of each descriptor by assigning the score on a 10 points linear scale. Analysis of variance found significant differences between cheese varieties (p <0.05) and the effect of storage period (p <0.05) on sensory quality of experimental parenica cheese varieties. The analysis showed that each sample group in observed representative sensory attributes was significantly different (p <0.05). Multiple factorial analysis showed in parenica cheese samples three selected components that explain more than 69% of the total variation in the dataset at the level of statistical significance p <0.05.

Cheese yeasts.

Numerous traditionally aged cheeses are surface ripened and develop a biofilm, known as the cheese rind, on their surfaces. The rind of such cheeses comprises a complex community of bacterial and fungal species that are jointly responsible for the typical characteristics of the various cheese varieties. Surface ripening starts directly after brining with the rapid colonization of the cheese surface by yeasts. The initially dominant yeasts are acid and salt-tolerant and are capable of metabolizing the lactate produced by the starter lactic acid bacteria and of producing NH3 from amino acids. Both processes cause the pH of the cheese surface to rise dramatically. This so-called deacidification process enables the establishment of a salt-tolerant, Gram-positive bacterial community that is less acid-tolerant. Over the past decade, knowledge of yeast diversity in cheeses has increased considerably. The yeast species with the highest prevalence on surface-ripened cheeses are Debaryomyces hansenii and Geotrichum candidum, but up to 30 species can be found. In the cheese core, only lactose-fermenting yeasts, such as Kluyveromyces marxianus, are expected to grow. Yeasts are recognized as having an indispensable impact on the development of cheese flavour and texture because of their deacidifying, proteolytic, and/or lipolytic activity. Yeasts are used not only in the production of surface-ripened cheeses but also as adjunct cultures in the vat milk in order to modify ripening behaviour and flavour of the cheese. However, yeasts may also be responsible for spoilage of cheese, causing early blowing, off-flavour, brown discolouration, and other visible alterations of cheese.

Prevalence of Some Deteriorating Microorganisms in Some Varieties of Cheese

Aim: This work throws light on the deteriorating microorganisms in some varieties of cheeses [hard cheese (Ras cheese), and processed cheese]. Material and Method: Thirty Ras cheese and processed cheese samples were collected randomly and subjected to chemical & microbiological examination to determine its contamination with deteriorating microorganisms. Results: Chemical examination showed that the mean titratable acidity % of Ras and Processed cheese samples were 0.5 ± 0.073 and 0.93% ± 0.062%, respectively, while salt % were 3.4 ± 0.078 and 1.03% ± 0.05%, respectively. Most of samples were contaminated with high numbers of Coliforms, yeast, mold, proteolytic, lipolytic and Enterococci. Conclusion: There are poor hygienic measures during production, processing and handling of cheese.

Major technological differences between an industrial-type and five artisan-type Greek PDO Galotyri market cheeses as revealed by great variations in their lactic acid microbiota

Galotyri is a Greek PDO acid-curd, traditionally ripened, soft spread cheese produced from boiled (>80–90 ℃), naturally acidified ewes’ or ewes’/goats’ milk in the regions of Epirus and Thessaly. In this survey study, the microbiology of an industrial Galotyri cheese variety (11 batches) was compared with five artisan-type Galotyri cheese varieties (1–2 batches each), with emphasis on the species of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) prevailing in the final product. All market cheese samples distributed either in packaged or bulk form, were purchased from retail outlets at Ioannina, Epirus during two sampling periods, 2003–2006 and 2014–2019. A total of 366 (189 industrial and 177 artisan) cheese LAB isolates were identified by key biochemical criteria. Strains of Streptococcus thermophilus and/or Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus were isolated nearly as a pure symbiotic starter culture (97.4%) from all industrial batches, labeled as a fresh cheese combining the nutritional properties of yogurt. Conversely, the artisan-type cheeses were ripened and more diversified in terms of LAB ecology. They contained strains of <i>Lactococcus lactis</i> (19.8%), <i>Lb. plantarum</i> (16.9%), <i>S. thermophilus</i> (14.7%), <i>Leuconostoc mesenteroides</i> group (11.3%), <i>Pediococcus inopinatus</i> (7.3%), <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i> (8.5%), <i>E. faecium</i> (6.2%), <i>E. durans</i> (5.1%), <i>Lb. rhamnosus</i> (3.4%), <i>Lb. gasseri</i> (3.4%), <i>Lb. bulgaricus</i> (2.8%) and <i>Lb. acidipiscis</i> (0.6%); the prevalence of each species was cheese product batch-dependent. In conclusion: (i) the industrial Galotyri cheese technology results in a fresh yogurt-like cheese of limited (thermophilic) LAB diversity; (ii) the artisan-type Galotyri cheese technologies may vary significantly, but share a decisive ripening step that favors the predominance of mesophilic LAB species in the final market products; (iii) a regulatory distinction between fresh and ripened varieties of commercial PDO-certified Galotyri cheeses is required.

Public Health Risks Of Biogenic Amines From Curd Dairy Products

Biogenic amine content of cheese can be extremely variable and depends on the type of cheese, the ripening time and the manufacturing process. The amount of biogenic amines in cheese may act as a useful indicator of the hygienic quality of the product. One hundred and forty samples of different varieties of cheese represented as (Kareish, Damietta, Ras, Mish, Cheddar, Edam and Roquefort) 25 of each were collected from groceries, and supermarkets from different localities in Alexandria city for determination of Five biogenic amines including histamine, tyramine, cadaverine and putrescine and tryptamine by high performance liquid chromatography. The highest histamine mg/100 g levels were detected in the examined mish cheese followed by Ras cheese while, histamine failed to be detected in the examined Roquefort cheese. Tyramine level was detected in all examined cheese samples except Roquefort cheese and the percent of positive samples that exceeded the permissible limit of ES (2007) and FDA (2001) were 40 and 55%, respectively. All positive samples of Cheddar, Edam and Roquefort cheeses for cadaverine were within the ES (2007) permissible limit While, all positive samples of examined cheese samples were above the FDA (2001) permissible limit except Roquefort cheese. While, only one sample from of positive putrescine examined samples of Damietta, Cheddar and Edam cheese were above the permissible limit. All examined cheese samples were within the permissible limit of tryptamine level according to ES (2007) and FDA (2001) Public health hazards of biogenic amines in different cheeses and suggestion to produce high quality cheese was discussed to come in accordance with the safe permissible limit to ensure human safety.

Impedance Sensing Platform for Detection of the Food Pathogen Listeria monocytogenes

A great improvement in food safety and quality controls worldwide has been achieved through the development of biosensing platforms. Foodborne pathogens continue to cause serious outbreaks, due to the ingestion of contaminated food. The development of new, sensitive, portable, high-throughput, and automated platforms is a primary objective to allow detection of pathogens and their toxins in foods. Listeria monocytogenes is one common foodborne pathogen. Major outbreaks of listeriosis have been caused by a variety of foods, including milk, soft cheeses, meat, fermented sausages, poultry, seafood and vegetable products. Due to its high sensitivity and easy setup, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has been extensively applied for biosensor fabrication and in particular in the field of microbiology as a mean to detect and quantify foodborne bacteria. Here we describe a miniaturized, portable EIS platform consisting of a microfluidic device with EIS sensors for the detection of L. monocytogenes in milk samples, connected to a portable impedance analyzer for on-field application in clinical and food diagnostics, but also for biosecurity purposes. To achieve this goal microelectrodes were functionalized with antibodies specific for L. monocytogenes. The binding and detection of L. monocytogenes was achieved in the range 2.2 × 103 cfu/mL to 1 × 102 with a Limit of Detection (LoD) of 5.5 cfu/mL.

Influence of cheese-making recipes on the composition and characteristics of Camembert-type cheese

Bloomy rind cheeses, including Camembert and related varieties, can be produced using alternative processes that vary based on milk preacidification, cutting, curd handling, and ripening parameters. Modification of these parameters creates distinct cheeses such as lactic curd, stabilized curd, and hybrids of the two. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of 5 Camembert-type cheese recipes on the composition and characteristics during ripening. Five varieties of Camembert-type cheese were produced: (1) lactic curd, (2) sweet curd, (3) washed curd, (4) solubilized curd, and (5) stabilized curd. Cheeses were aged at 13°C for 10 d, during the mold growth phase, and 7°C from d 11 until 50. Key quality metrics including texture development, pH (center and surface), and color were monitored throughout shelf-life. Compositional evaluation (d 5; fat, protein, moisture, salt, and minerals) grouped cheeses into 3 categories: (1) lactic curd, (2) sweet and washed curd, and (3) solubilized and stabilized curd. The lactic curd and stabilized curd were consistently the most different varieties for composition and quality metrics. Moisture content of Camembert-type varieties ranged from 53.15 to 57.99%, Ca ranged from 0.23 to 0.45%, and P ranged from 0.21 to 0.40%. All varieties followed the expected pH evolution on the rind and in the paste with the pH of the rind reaching 7 by d 10, and paste pH reaching 7 between 35 and 50 d. The displacement of the paste (distance traveled upon cutting) for the lactic curd was the greatest among the 5 varieties, reaching an average of 27 ± 1.9 mm (mean ± standard error) after 50 d of ripening and 60 min of flow time. The stabilized curd on the other hand traveled the shortest distance, reaching an average of 4 ± 0.4 mm at the same time point. Browning, considered a defect in mold-ripened cheeses, was observed in all varieties, but was most substantial for lactic curd (lightness, L*, decreased from 87.19 to 68.58). Based on these quality metrics the shelf-life of these recipes was estimated with the lactic curd having the shortest, and the stabilized curd having the longest. Examining Camembert-type cheese quality metrics for these 5 varieties can assist cheesemakers during recipe formulation and selection of cheese-making practices to achieve optimum product quality.

Volatile compounds and biogenic amines during the ripening of mold‐ripened Civil cheese manufactured using three different strains of Penicillium roqueforti

AbstractThree different strains of Penicillium roqueforti were used for the manufacture of mold‐ripened Civil cheese and these cheeses were ripened at 4 and 10 °C for 90 days. Sixty‐five volatile compounds were identified in the volatile fractions of the cheeses. The concentration of volatile compounds in cheeses was significantly affected ripening time temperature and by mold strains a lesser extent. 3‐Methyl‐1‐butanol, 2‐nonanol, methyl dodecanoate, butanoic acid, and decanoic acid were the most frequently identified volatiles. Tryptamine, 2‐phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, tyramine, spermidine, and spermine were also found. The most abundant biogenic amine was cadaverine. The formation of biogenic amines was significantly influenced by strain, ripening time, and temperature. The biogenic amine content was found to be between 2.41 and 228.94 μg/g cheese. Ripening temperature and ripening time significantly influenced the formation of volatile compounds and biogenic amines.Practical applicationsMoldy Civil is a traditional cheese variety produced in the eastern Anatolian region of Turkey and it is protected by geographical indication by Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TURKPATENT) by 2010. It is manufactured using skimmed milk which is spontaneously acidified with native lactic acid bacteria and also the addition of preacidified whey. Three strains of P. roqueforti was used in Moldy Civil cheese‐making and strains of the mold changed the volatile profiles and the levels of biogenic amines less than ripening time and temperature. Methyl ketones and alcohols were the dominant groups in volatiles, while cadaverine was found to be principal biogenic amine in Moldy Civil cheese. Use of P. roqueforti strains contributed to the formation of the volatile fraction of the cheese; however, the level of biogenic amines changed by P. roqueforti strains a lesser extent.

Effects of Fat Reduction on the Stability, Microstructure, Rheological and Color Characteristics of White-Brined Cheese Emulsion with Different Emulsifying Salt Amounts.

Cheese emulsion is an intermediate product for the production of cheese powder and needs to be stable, homogeneous and pumpable characteristics to convey to the spray drier. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of fat reduction and emulsifying salt (ES) amount in cheese emulsion systems on the physicochemical characteristics. Reduced-fat (RF) and full-fat (FF) white-brined cheese emulsions were produced with different dry matters (DM; 15%–25% excluding ES) and ES concentrations (0%–3% based on cheese weight). Stable cheese emulsion was obtained at lower DM in RF cheese emulsion than that of FF cheese emulsion. Reduction in the amount of ES resulted in instability of both emulsions. Apparent viscosity with pseudoplastic flow behavior significantly increased with the decrease of fat content in stable cheese emulsions. Microstructure of emulsions appeared to be related to the fat content, stability and degree of emulsification. Reduction of fat content caused to get less lightness and more greenness in color, whereas yellowness was significantly decreased by increase in the amount of ES. In conclusion, fat reduction resulted in higher viscosities of cheese emulsion due to inducing the increment of protein, and the addition amount of ES considered as very important factor to produce stable cheese emulsion without protein precipitation or cream separation. Therefore, for preparation of RF cheese emulsion using a variety of white-brined cheese, lower amounts of DM would be suggested in this study to obtain homogenous droplets in the atomizing process of spray drying.

Fungal mycobiota and mycotoxin risk for traditional artisan Italian cave cheese

Cave cheese is a surface mold-ripened variety of cheese produced also in South of Italy, exploiting fungal population naturally occurring on cave walls, as part of secondary microbiota for ripening. In this study, 148 fungal strains were isolated from 22 independent cave cheese samples, collected in 13 Italian geographical locations, mostly in Apulian area.DNA-based identification showed the presence of twenty-four fungal species in the outer part of the cheese ripened in caves. Aspergillus westerdijkiae and Penicillium biforme resulted the most frequently isolated species, followed by Penicillium roqueforti and Penicillium solitum. The 86% of cheese sample presented at least one toxigenic species and the 45% revealed the presence of ochratoxigenic species, A. westerdijkiae and A. steynii, suggesting possible mycotoxin risk during ripening stage in caves, confirmed by the presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in the rind of 36% of samples.In conclusion, cave cheese is a susceptible product for toxigenic mold growth and in particular OTA contamination, therefore adeguate scientific tools for matching organolectic consumer expectations and complete safety of food should be developed, as well as spontaneously molded and not monitored cheeses should not be consumed to avoid mycotoxin risk.

Size, shape, and identity of surface crystals and their relationship to sensory perception of grittiness in soft smear-ripened cheeses

Soft smear-ripened cheeses undergo extensive surface crystallization and radial demineralization of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, which likely contributes to radial softening during ripening. Furthermore, anecdotal evidence suggests that grittiness is a common characteristic of smear-ripened cheeses. The primary aims of the present study were to evaluate the intensity of perceived grittiness while assessing other key sensory attributes in US artisanal and European protected designation of origin smear-ripened cheeses, and to relate perceived grittiness to the size, shape, and identity of crystals present in the cheese surface smears. Fully ripened wheels of 24 different varieties of smear-ripened cheeses, 16 produced in the United States and 8 in the European Union, were obtained from retail sources. A trained sensory panel (n = 12) was employed to evaluate intensity of grittiness. Crystals present in the cheese smears were identified by powder X-ray diffractometry and polarized light microscopy, and further evaluated in polarized light microscopy micrographs by image analysis for size and shape characteristics. Mean sensory scores for the 24 cheeses ranged from no perceived grittiness to easily identifiable grittiness. Surface crystals included ikaite, struvite, calcite, and brushite, and mean crystal length and area ranged among cheeses from 27 to 1,096 μm, and 533 to 213,969 μm2, respectively. Panel threshold for grittiness occurred at a mean crystal length of about 66 μm and mean crystal area of about 2,913 μm2. Cheeses with mean values at or below these thresholds displayed negligible perceived grittiness. In contrast, for cheeses with mean values above these thresholds, the mean sensory scores for grittiness were highly correlated with mean crystal length and crystal area (r = 0.93 and 0.96, respectively). Results suggest that surface crystals in soft smear-ripened cheeses influence sensory perception of texture in complex ways that likely include radial softening and grittiness development. A better understanding of factors that govern surface crystal formation may lead to improved control over crystallization and more consistent cheese texture.

Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy study of cheese treated with accelerated electrons

The generation, accumulation and decay of free radicals in six varieties of cheese, irradiated (0–4 kGy) in an electron accelerator, have been studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. Remarkably, the ESR spectra of all untreated cheeses showed only one singlet signal with a g-factor of 2.0064 ± 0.0005. Surprisingly, the ESR spectra of irradiated samples presented a new signal with g-factor of 2.0037 ± 0.0003 which was independent of the type of cheese, and which might be due to free radicals from the radiolysis of proteins. Surface regression models (P < 0.0001) established the relationship among signal intensity, absorbed dose (0, 1, 2 and 4 kGy) and storage time (0–180 days) for the different types of cheese. Results suggested that the analysis by ESR (or electron paramagnetic resonance, EPR) is suitable to evaluate, either qualitatively or quantitatively, the irradiation treatment of different types of cheese.

High Hydrostatic Pressure as a Tool to Reduce Formation of Biogenic Amines in Artisanal Spanish Cheeses.

Two artisanal varieties of cheese made in Spain, one made of ewes’ raw milk and the other of goats’ raw milk were selected to evaluate the effect of a high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment at 400 MPa during 10 min at 2 °C on the formation of biogenic amines (BA). These conditions were applied at the beginning of the ripening (before the 5th day; HHP1) and in the case of ewes’ milk cheeses also after 15th days (HHP15). BA formation was greatly influenced by HHP treatments in both types of cheese. HHP1 treatments significantly reduced the amounts of BA after ripening, being tyramine and putrescine the most affected BA in goats’ milk cheeses and tyramine and cadaverine in ewes’ milk cheeses. The BA reduction in the HHP1 samples could be explained by the significant decrease in microbiological counts, especially in the LAB, enteroccocci and enterobacteria groups at the beginning of ripening. The proteolysis in these samples was also affected reducing the amount of free amino acids. Although proteolysis in ewes’ milk cheeses HHP15 was similar than in control samples a reduction of BA was observed probably because the decrease caused on microbial counts.

Individual and combined effect of pH and whey proteins on lactose crystallization

Lactose is recovered by crystallization from cheese whey that is a by-product of cheesemaking. The whey used for the recovery of lactose usually has a residual content of protein that alters the crystallization of lactose. In addition, the pH of whey may fluctuate depending on the cheese variety. However, there is little information on how the pH modifies the effect that whey proteins have on lactose crystallization. Accordingly, this work aimed to evaluate the individual and combined effect of whey proteins and pH on the kinetics of crystallization, the crystal size distribution and the crystallinity of lactose. The addition of whey proteins in lactose solutions (25% v/v) modified the process of lactose crystallization. However, the effect that whey proteins had on lactose crystallization heavily depended on the pH. The number of crystals per milliliter as well as the growth and size distribution of crystals was the most affected with the changes in pH (pHs of 7, 5.5 and 4) and the addition of whey proteins (0 and 0.63%). All the treatment produced mostly α-lactose monohydrated but some treatments also generated crystals of β-lactose (pH 5.5, 0% of proteins). Amorphous lactose was observed mainly in lactose solutions adjusted at pH 7 and added with whey proteins. This particular treatment also incorporated the highest amount of protein into the lattice of lactose crystals. The results of this work highlight the importance of controlling the pH of lactose crystallization, especially if there is a presence of whey proteins.

Composition, proteolysis, lipolysis, volatile compound profile and sensory characteristics of ripened white cheeses manufactured in different geographical regions of Turkey

Turkish white cheese is the most important cheese variety made in Turkey and significant variations are commonly observed in their properties (mainly sensory). White cheese samples were collected from different geographical regions of Turkey and analysed to determine the common characteristics and to investigate the effects of the regional differences arising from differential natural conditions and the natural variations in raw milk. Although the samples showed similar compositional properties, there were significant variations in the ripening parameters and flavour attributes. Forty-five volatile compounds were identified and a descriptive vocabulary consisting of 15 common attributes were used to describe Turkish white cheese. Cheeses with moderate proteolytic ripening degrees and high lipolytic ripening values caused an increase in the preference score. Moreover, the increase in the volatile acid contents positively affected the preference. The most preferred cheeses were manufactured in two neighbouring provinces located in the north-west of the country.

UHPLC analysis of biogenic amines in different cheese varieties

Biogenic amines (BA) in various commercial cheese samples (n = 151) representing most common cheese varieties were determined using UHPLC. In general, cumulative BA levels varied to a great extent with exceptional samples having amounts up to 150–313 mg/100 g cheese, whereas only 5% of the analysed cheeses showed total concentrations higher than 90 mg/100 g (median 5.7 mg/100 g). Histamine was found in 79% of all samples, with maximum concentrations up to 116 mg/100 g, but only 5% of the cheeses had a histamine level above 17 mg/100 g (median 0.9 mg/100 g). For tyramine (72% occurrence), highest values were found for some acid-curd cheeses (up to 160 mg/100 g) and certain “mountain cheeses” (median 1.0 mg/100 g). Putrescine was detected in 70% of the cheeses (up to 84 mg/100 g for some acid-curd cheeses; median 0.6 mg/100 g). Cadaverine was found in 48% of the samples, with highest concentrations for some acid-curd cheeses (median 0.2 mg/100 g). Tryptamine had the lowest occurrence (15%) and a median concentration of 0.3 mg/100 g.