Hygienic quality, lipolysis and sensory properties of Spanish Protected Designation of Origin ewe’s milk cheeses manufactured with lamb rennet paste

Abstract

-A lamb rennet paste preparation was studied to determine its suitability for the manufacture of the three main Spanish raw ewe's milk cheeses with Protected Designation of Origin (Manchego, Idiazabal and Zamorano) from the hygienic and sensory points of view. Cheeses were manufactured with lamb rennet paste or with commercial rennets (bovine powder rennet for Manchego cheese and liquid lamb rennet for Zamorano and Idiazabal cheeses) at identical levels of coagulating strength. Free fatty acids and partial glycerides were also analysed to study lipolysis levels and to relate them to sensory properties. No statistically significant differences were detected in microbiological counts for any of the species analysed between cheeses manufactured with lamb rennet paste and cheeses manufactured with non-paste commercial rennet. We conclude that the hygienic quality of the cheeses made in this study with lamb rennet paste was comparable with that of cheeses made with non-paste commercial rennet. Cheeses made with lamb rennet paste showed a higher lipolysis level than cheeses made with non-paste commercial rennet. Sensory differences between cheeses made with either type of rennet were mainly detected in Idiazabal cheese, whereas the sensory profile of the cheeses made with lamb rennet paste or with non-paste commercial rennet was rather similar for Manchego and Zamorano cheeses. Idiazabal cheeses manufactured with lamb rennet paste showed the highest scores for odour and flavour intensities, sharp odour, rennet odour and flavour, butyric flavour and pungent character. On the other hand, Idiazabal cheeses made with non-paste commercial rennet had higher scores for milk and buttery odour attributes than cheeses made with lamb rennet paste.

Progress in the field of aspartic proteinases in cheese manufacturing: structures, functions, catalytic mechanism, inhibition, and engineering

“…Lamb or kid rennet pastes are other alternatives to bovine chymosin. They are preferentially used in the manufacture of some ewe's or goat's milk cheeses in certain areas of the Mediterranean countries (Etayo et al 2006). These rennet preparations are not highly commercialized and usually prepared at artisanal level.…”

“…They contain variable amounts of lipolytic activities together with chymosin and pepsin. The use of lipase-containing lamb rennet pastes causes the accumulation of short chain free fatty acids during cheese ripening which impart a characteristic "pungent" flavor (Etayo et al 2006). The cheese characteristic prepared with lamb rennet and bovine rennet pastes have been compared by different researchers (Irigoyen et al 2002;Vicente et al 2000;Calandrelli et al 1997) and contradictory results have been demonstrated.…”

Recent advances in milk clotting enzymes

“…Because of the conditions in artisanal lamb paste production, there are hygienic constraints as these preparations usually contain a substantial micro‐flora, dominated by lactic acid bacteria (Etayo et al. 2006; Gil et al.…”

Biogenic Amines in Italian Pecorino Cheese

“…In fact the traditional lamb paste preparation procedure has a significant impact on rennet composition, as has animal age, precedent diet, or slaughtering condition (Jacob et al, 2011 ). In artisanal lamb paste production, there is a substantial microbiota, dominated by LAB (Etayo et al, 2006 ; Gil et al, 2007 ). The use of artisanal rennets often entails problems concerning curd formation and final characteristics of the cheese.…”