Theophilos Massouras

Changes in free fatty acids during ripening of Teleme cheese made with ewes', goats', cows' or a mixture of ewes' and goats' milk

Abstract Lipolysis was studied in Teleme cheeses manufactured from ewes’ milk, goats’ milk, cows’ milk and a mixture of ewes’ and goats’ milk. Changes in the profiles of free fatty acids (FFAs) extracted from the cheeses were followed using gas chromatographic techniques up to 180 d of ripening. Evolution of lipolysis was also monitored following acid degree value (ADV). It was found that the ADVs of cows’ milk Teleme cheeses were significantly ( P 60 d of ripening than those of cheeses made from ewes’, goats’ or the mixed milk. The degree of lipolysis was shown by the increase in concentration of FFAs during ripening. A low total FFA value characterized all Teleme cheeses. The most abundant FFAs in ripened cheeses were palmitic and oleic acids. In all types of cheeses the concentration of acetic acid increased rapidly in the first period of ripening and storage, reaching its maximum values at approximately 60 d ripening. Total amounts of FFAs at all ripening times examined were significantly ( P

Volatile compounds and lipolysis levels of Kopanisti, a traditional Greek raw milk cheese

BACKGROUND Kopanisti is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) traditional soft Greek cheese manufactured exclusively in the Cycladic island complex. It is made from raw bovine, ovine or caprine milk or a mixture of them without the addition of any lactic acid cultures. It has a spreadable texture, an intense salty and peppery taste and a strong flavour. Although Kopanisti cheese has properties similar to those of mould-ripened cheeses, its volatile compound content has never been reported. In this study the volatile compound content and lipolysis level of ten commercial Kopanisti samples were investigated. RESULTS The main aromatic groups found in Kopanisti cheese were alcohols, esters and volatile free fatty acids. Ethanol and several ethyl esters were the main volatile compounds. Intense lipolysis was present, with an average total free fatty acid content of 48,979 mg kg(-1). Acetic, butyric and capric acids were the main volatile acids determined. CONCLUSION The intense lipolysis contributes greatly to the strong flavour and peppery taste of Kopanisti cheese. The flavour of Kopanisti is attributable mainly to the volatile fatty acids and various other volatile compounds as well as to the interactions occurring between them.

Lipolysis and volatile compounds in low-fat Kefalograviera-type cheese made with commercial special starter cultures

Two commercially available starter culture systems, Alp DIP and a mixture of Alp DIP D and Joghurt V1, were compared with a regular starter culture, CH-1, for their effects on lipolysis and volatile compounds in a low-fat (9.5%), high moisture (49.6%) Kefalograviera-type cheese during aging. A full-fat control Kefalograviera cheese (30.8% fat, 37.8% moisture) was also made with the regular starter culture. The results indicated that the experimental low-fat cheeses had a higher, but not significantly, total FFA content than the control low-fat cheese and a significantly lower level than the full-fat cheese. The experimental cheeses had also significantly higher levels of acetone at 90 days and acetic acid, diacetyl and acetoin at 180 days than the control low-fat cheese which had significantly higher levels of butan-2-ol and butan-2-one than the former cheeses at both sampling ages.

Transfer of Orally Administered Terpenes in Goat Milk and Cheese

The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationships between terpenes’ intake and their presence in animal tissues (blood and milk) as well as in the final product (cheese). Eight dairy goats were divided in two balanced groups, representing control (C) and treatment (T) group. In T group oral administration of a mixture of terpenes (α-pinene, limonene and β-caryophyllene) was applied over a period of 18 d. Cheese was produced, from C and T groups separately, on three time points, twice during the period of terpenes’ oral administration and once after the end of experiment. Terpenes were identified in blood by extraction using petroleum ether and in milk and cheese by the use of solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) method, followed by GC-MS analysis. Chemical properties of the milk and the produced cheeses were analyzed and found not differing between the two groups. Limonene and α-pinene were found in all blood and milk samples of the T group after a lag-phase of 3 d, while β-caryophyllene was determined only in few milk samples. Moreover, none of the terpenes were traced in blood and milk of C animals. In cheese, terpenes’ concentrations presented a more complicated pattern implying that terpenes may not be reliable feed tracers. We concluded that monoterpenes can be regarded as potential feed tracers for authentification of goat milk, but further research is required on factors affecting their transfer.