Contributions of Cow, Sheep, and Goat Milks to Characterizing Branched-Chain Fatty Acid and Phenolic Flavors in Varietal Cheeses

Abstract

Selected goat milk (fresh, semi-soft), sheep milk (Pyrenees, Roquefort), and cow milk (Blue, Cheddar) cheeses were analyzed for FFA using a sensitive gas chromatographic technique. Qualitative profiles for most FFA were similar in the samples, except that Cethyloctanoic acid was not found in cow milk cheese. Milk fat of cows contained low concentrations of 4-methyloctanoic acid, but milk fat of sheep and goat contained significant amounts of both 4-methyloctanoic and Cethyloctanoic acids, which contributed mutton-like and goat-like flavors, respectively. Pyrenees sheep milk cheese contained significant amounts of methyland ethyl-substituted phenols, which contributed characterizing sheep-like flavor notes to this cheese variety.