Sensorial and Electrophoretic Analysis During the Ripening of Three Mono-Race Ewe Cheese

The flavour and final texture of cheese are the outcome of a series of chemical, biochemical and microbiological events that occur during ripening among them lipolysis, proteolysis as well as glycolytic events represent the more important. During the elaboration and ripening of the cheese, the casein are degraded several grades and their hydrolysis is one of the main determinants of the texture and flavor of the product. In this study, the cheese was obtained from milk of 3 different ewe races namely Comisana, Delle Langhe and Merinizzata Italiana. The cheese was sampled after 2, 30, 60 or 90 days of ripening and evaluated for different sensory and structural characters (i.e., by visual, olfactory and gustative analysis) by a panel of expert assessors. The analysis of the panel was compared with electrophoretic pattern of cheese extract during the ripening. From the data, it appears that both the sensorial characters and the final texture of the 3 mono-race derived ewe cheese evolved in a sort of race-dependent way. These observations seems to indicate a fascinating scenario in which it is possible for the producers by an accurate blend of the starting mono-race milks and/or by modulate the ripening time of a mono-race derived cheese to better match the consumer preferences and requests.