Fatty acid and sensory profiles of Caciocavallo cheese as affected by management system

Abstract

The effect of season of the year associated with changes in feeding and management system (pasture-based vs. confinement) on milk and cheese fatty acid profile and on sensory properties of Caciocavallo cheese was evaluated on 3 mountain dairy farms. Each farm used a pasture-based feeding system from April to June and from September to October (PS), and a confinement system for the rest of the year (CS). As a consequence of grazing, PS milk showed higher percentages of C18:3, cis-9,trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid, and trans-11 C18:1, and a reduced percentage of C16:0. The fatty acid profile of cheese largely reflected that of the corresponding raw milk from which cheese was made. This led to a significant decrease of atherogenic index in cheeses produced from cows on pasture. Based on sensory analysis, cheese from animals kept on pasture was more yellow and had a lower intensity of butter and smoked odors than did CS cheese. In addition, grazing induced a lower intensity of bitter and a higher intensity of spicy flavors compared with cheese from CS animals. In regard to texture, pasture feeding resulted in higher intensity of friability and graininess. All cheeses performed well in consumer tests; the panel found all samples more than acceptable for overall liking, and for liking according to appearance, taste/flavor, and texture. Overall liking of Caciocavallo cheese, as assessed by slope analysis, was affected primarily by taste/flavor (raw slope k=0.88) and texture (k=0.97), whereas appearance had a lesser effect (k=0.72). The acidic and sensory profiles of cheese were well discriminated, with healthier cheeses produced by grazing cows. Therefore, wider use of pasture should be promoted to accentuate this favorable feature. Based on the specific nutritional and sensory characteristics of mountain Caciocavallo cheese, particularly that obtained from grazing animals, efforts should be made to indicate the quality of this cheese to the consumer and improve product recognition.

Effects of Chickpea in Substitution of Soybean Meal on Milk Production, Blood Profile and Reproductive Response of Primiparous Buffaloes in Early Lactation

“…The feeding strategies able to modify the FA composition of milk fat are mainly based on the use of pasture/fresh forage, oils and oil-rich feeds [59][60][61]. However, in this trial, no fresh forage was used and the fat percentages of the two diets were very close and, thereby, the effect of diet was not observed.…”

Diversity of traditional Caciocavallo cheeses produced in Italy

“…Although the production area of several Caciocavallo cheeses encompasses one or more Italian districts, almost half of the surveyed cheeses were produced in a very restricted area, often limited to a small town or village, which indicates a close link of these products to their territorial identity (Fonte, ) (Table ). The survey highlighted large variations in cheesemaking procedures even within the same cheese variety, as is frequent in traditional cheeses produced in small‐scale dairies (Esposito et al ). Consequently, we focused on the main variants that, on the basis of the literature discussed throughout the paper (e.g.…”

“…Compared to dry diets, pasture and fresh forage are able to convey several aromatic and functional compounds in milk that result in beneficial attributes of dairy products (i.e. healthier fatty acid composition), as well as in modified cheese sensory properties in terms of a yellower colour, less firm texture, stronger and less piquant taste, less sour and less fruity flavour (Carpino et al ; Avondo et al ; Bonanno et al ; Esposito et al ; Uzun et al ).…”

Liking of Traditional Cheese and Consumer Willingness to Pay

“…Following this approach, Esposito et al (2014) detected the effect of different rearing systems (grazing vs confinement) on sensory properties of Caciocavallo cheese, a traditional product from southern Italy. Cheese from animals kept on pasture, in fact, was more yellow, and showed a lower intensity of butter and smoked odours, a higher intensity of spicy flavour a lower intensity of bitter taste, and higher friability and graininess intensities as compared with cheese from confined animals ( Figure 1).…”