This paper deals with the estimation of tyrosine, tryptophan and soluble nitrogen in 288 samples of the Edam cheese using the Near Infrared Spectroscopy. For analyses, the apparatus NIR Nicolet Antaris was used working in the regime of reflectance (i.e. using an integrating sphere) in combination with fibre optics (i.e. using a probe). For calibration, reference data from the UV spectrophotometer was used. Calibration models were developed using a PLS algorithm (least square method) and tested by means of cross-validation. Correlation coefficients: R = 0.911, R = 0.929 and R = 0.959 for soluble nitrogen, tryptophan and tyrosine, respectively, were achieved during measuring in the integrating sphere; R = 0.807, R = 0.945, R = 0.928 were achieved for soluble nitrogen, tryptophan and tyrosine, respectively, during measuring by probe. The results of the study show that NIR technology is suitable for fast and approximate determination of the level of cheese ripening. This can be used for the evaluation of the material for the processed cheese production, or cheese sale in optimal level of ripening.
NIR, Edam, tyrosine, tryptophan, proteolysisComposition of young cheese is a key factor for further ageing. Similarly, the content of water represents one of the most important factors of regulation of curd hydrolysis and microbial growth in manufactured cheese. The near infrared spectroscopy shows a good predicting value when estimating fats, water content and proteins in natural and processed cheese and the obtained results correlate well with other reference methods (Rodriguezotero et al. 1995;McQueen et al. 1995;Mazerolles et al. 2000;Adamopoulos et al. 2001;McKenna 2001;Blaquez et al. 2004). These methods are of interest especially when monitoring the process of cheese ageing because they enable and facilitate, performing changes in the composition based on the results of analyses of young cheese. The composition of young cheese is a key to its further ageing and the moisture content is one of the most important factors of the regulation of curd hydrolysis and of cheese microbial growth. Nevertheless, changes and analysis of major compounds present in young cheese is not a good indicator of the course of its further ripening. The reason is that these cheese components are more or less unchanging and stable. On the other hand, however, changes in contents of peptides and free amino acids are very good indicators of cheese ageing. The cheese acquires its typical taste, smell, consistency and appearance only in the course of ageing, i.e. due to fermentation processes that change all three basic milk components, i.e. lactose, proteins and fat (Sustova et al. 2007;Drackova et al. 2008). Proteolysis is the most complex, and in the majority of cheese types, also one of the most important biochemical processes. Concentration of amino acids, a final product of proteolysis, is dependent on the type of cheese and stage of ageing. In Edam cheese, the most abundant amino acids include glutamine, leucine, arginine, lysine, ...