Impact of changes in the fat phase on the peculiarities of the formation of quality indicators of semi-hard and hard cheeses

Cheesemaking is a complex process that involves lactose metabolism, proteolysis and lipolysis. The flavor bouquet of ripening cheeses is formed as a result of changes in all the components of milk. The conditions of keeping and feeding a ruminant, its type, breed, as well as the technological features of cheese production influence this process. Milk fat contributes to the formation of the flavor bouquet of cheese, which undergoes separate changes in the stage of milk processing for cheese. We studied semi-hard cheeses — Dutch and Vityaz and hard cheese — Italiko, made from the same raw milk using the microflora characteristic of these cheeses. The temperature of the second heating ranged from 39°C to 54°C, depending on the type of cheese. To assess the quality of cheeses, their physical and chemical composition and degree of maturity, organoleptic indicators and the content of volatile flavoring compounds, acid number, Reichert-Meissl number and fatty acid composition of the fatty phase of cheeses were determined. In comparative studies of cheeses, the features of the formation of their quality indicators, due to the composition and manufacturing technology, were revealed. They manifested themselves in the flavor bouquet and texture of the product, as well as in the fatty acid composition of cheeses, confirming the importance of the fat phase in the quality formation of the studied cheeses during their production, ripening and storage. It has been proven that even a slight increase in the acid number of fat during the production of all cheeses contributes to the further transformation of the resulting free fatty acids into volatile flavoring compounds that take part in the formation of the taste and aroma of the finished product.