ABILITY OF HAND EVALUATION VERSUS MOUTH EVALUATION TO DIFFERENTIATE TEXTURE OF CHEESE

Hand evaluation and mouth evaluation were compared for texture of cheese. Panelists (n = 11) identified seven mouth terms and five hand terms and developed definitions and standard procedures for evaluation during the course of training. The terms were used to evaluate texture properties of fourteen different types of natural and processed full fat and reduced fat cheeses. Hand and mouth evaluation were able to discriminate cheese texture (P≦0.05). Principal component analysis of data revealed that hand and mouth evaluation differentiated the cheeses in a similar manner. Correlation analysis, factor analysis, and canonical analysis revealed that mouth and hand terms were highly correlated (P≦0.05). Either hand or mouth evaluation can be used to discriminate cheese texture.     

Winter feeding systems and dairy cow breed have an impact on milk composition and flavour of two Protected Designation of Origin French cheeses

This study investigates the effects of two feeding systems and two dairy cow breeds on milk yield and composition, physical and sensorial properties of Camembert and Pont-l’Evêque cheeses. The experiment consisted of a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. A low energy grass diet with only 15% of concentrate (LowGS) was compared with a high-energy maize silage diet with 30% concentrate (HighMS). Thirty-four Holstein (Ho) and 34 Normande (No) cows in early lactation were assigned to one of two feeding systems for a 6-week period. Cows on the LowGS feeding system had lower milk yield, fat and protein content. In both feeding systems, No cows had lower milk yields but higher milk protein contents than Ho cows. The LowGS feeding system altered milk fatty acid (FA) composition by reducing saturated FA. Breed had only a small impact on milk FA. Concerning milk coagulating properties, only the firmness was reduced by the LowGS feeding and the Ho breed. The effects of breed and feeding system on the protein content of cheeses were more marked in Camembert cheese than in Pont-l’Evêque cheese. However, the Camembert cheese from Ho-LowGS was, in fact, characterized especially by lower protein content. LowGS feeding system and No breed produced more yellow cheeses. Feeding systems had limited effects on the firmness of Camembert and Pont-l’Evêque cheeses measured by penetrometry. In sensory analysis, Ho breed and LowGS feeding produced a Camembert cheese with a more melting texture in the mouth due to the increase of spreadability index and of proteolysis. The type of cheese also had an influence: the effects were more important on Camembert cheese than on Pont-l’Evêque cheese. Only the Ho-LowGS treatment produced a very specific Camembert cheese different from the others. The feeding systems and breed of dairy cow have no determinant effect on PDO (protected designation of origin) Camembert and Pont-l’Evêque cheeses, especially regarding taste. In this kind of trial, despite the effects of feeding systems and breed on milk composition, the role of cheese ripening and microbiology appears to be of considerable importance.     

Effect of several MAP compositions on the microbiological and sensory properties of Graviera cheese

The shelf life of Graviera cheese, a full fat cheese produced in Heraklion (Crete Greece), was investigated. Graviera cheese was stored at 4 °C for up to 90 days in polyamide packages under three different modified atmosphere compositions. Control cheeses were packaged in air whereas MAP mixtures were MAP₁: 40% CO₂/55% N₂/5% O₂, MAP₂: 60% CO₂/40% N₂ and MAP₃: 50% CO₂/50% N₂. Sampling of product was carried out every 10 days to investigate its sensory quality and microbiological characteristics. Ten trained panelists participated in the sensory panel to evaluate the cheeses for external appearance (color, texture), taste, and flavor in a scale from 1 to 10 (1 very poor, 10 very good). The microbiological analysis revealed that there were no colonies of Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes whereas both Escherichia coli and Total Viable Counts (TVC) increased strongly in control samples but were inhibited under all MAP compositions.     

INSTRUMENTAL AND SENSORY EVALUATION OF TEXTURAL ATTRIBUTES IN CHEESE ANALOGS: A CORRELATION STUDY

The objective of this study was to investigate the usefulness of an array of statistical techniques to describe relationships between instrumental data and non‐oral sensory texture profiling scores by using a range of model processed cheese analogs as example. Pairwise correlation, used as an exploratory tool, showed no significant correlation for flexibility and greasiness with any individual instrumental parameter. Stepwise regression, principal component regression and partial least squares regression were used to generate models for firmness, stickiness and curdiness of the analogs studied. No models could be generated for flexibility and greasiness, and models for rubberiness had poor quality of fit compared with the other sensory attributes. In general, firmness, stickiness and curdiness were satisfactorily modeled by using chemical data and small deformation rheological parameters. Compression data (large deformation), often used in correlation studies regarding the texture of cheese, did not necessarily lead to better correlation results in comparison with other instrumental parameters used in this research.     

Sensory evaluation of fruit quality and nutritional composition of 20 breadfruit (Artocarpus, Moraceae) cultivars

Twenty breadfruit cultivars growing in afield genebank at Kahanu Garden, National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hana, Maui, Hawaii, were evaluated for sensory attributes and nutrient composition. A taste panel scored eight flavor/aroma attributes, five textural attributes, and color. There were significant differences (P ≤ 0.01) in aroma, visual texture, flavor intensity, sweetness, starchiness, moistness, stringiness, firmness, and color. The greatest differences were in color and texture. Nutrient analyses showed significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) for energy, carbohydrates, ash, crude protein, potassium, magnesium, sodium, iron, copper, and zinc. Considering the versatility of breadfruit as a food, its ease of production, and its nutritional value, the numerous good quality flavorful cultivars available should be more widely grown for sustainable agriculture and food security.     

SENSORY AND INSTRUMENTAL EVALUATIONS OF TEXTURE IN CHEESES MADE FROM OVINE MILKS WITH DIFFERING FAT CONTENTS

The present study considers the influence of reducing the fat content of ovine milk on the sensory and instrumental texture characteristics of the resulting cheeses. Three manufacturing runs were performed. In each run three cheese batches were manufactured using milks with differing percentage fat contents (8%, 4%, and 2% fat). Analysis of cheese samples was performed at 60, 90, and 120 days of ripening.
The instrumental method used to evaluate cheese texture was uniaxial compression at constant speed, taking readings of stress, strain, and modulus of elasticity (E). Statisticalanalysis revealed differences forboth the differentfat contents and the ripening times considered. Instrumental parameter values increased with lower cheese fat contents; with a 20% reduction in the fat to dry matter content from full-fat to reduced-fat cheeses, resulting in a 35% increase in maximum stress and in the slope of the stress-strain curve at the end of ripening. The greatest sensory differences between samples were recorded for firmness.     

TASTE COMPONENTS OF CHEDDAR CHEESE: FRACTIONATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF CHEDDAR CHEESE TASTE IN WATER

To determine the taste components of Cheddar cheese, we fractionated one mild Cheddar cheese and one aged Cheddar cheese by water extraction, freeze‐drying and gel filtration. Salty, sour and umami were the three predominant tastes present in the fractions. Neither trigeminal sensations nor astringency was perceived. We used response surface methodology to reconstruct a mild Cheddar cheese taste and an aged Cheddar cheese taste in water. Less salt and less acid were needed to simulate the taste of mild Cheddar cheese, compared with aged Cheddar cheese. Our optimized water solutions (containing sodium chloride, lactic acid and monosodium glutamate) were as similar to the real cheese samples as were the water extracts of the standard cheeses. However, neither our optimized solutions nor the water extracts matched the taste of the actual cheeses.