Free amino acids profiles during the ripening of Port Salut Argentino cheese after frozen storage

VERDINI, RA; ZORRILLA, SE; RUBIOLO, AC

JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE

Institute of Food Technologists

Año: 2002 vol. 7 p. 3264 - 3270

0022-1147

The effect of frozen storage on the free amino acid profiles of a soft cheese was studied. Free amino acid profiles of Port Salut Argentino cheeses at different storage conditions (ripening with and without previous frozen storage), ripening times (1, 6, 13, 27, and 56 days), and cheese zones (central and external) were studied. Precolumn derivatization with o-phtaldialdehyde and a C18 column were used for chromatographic separations. Principal component analysis reduced data to 2 dimensions where unripened cheeses (1 to 13 days) were grouped independently of ripening time, sampling zone, and storage condition. Ripened cheeses (27 and 56 days) showed scattering according to ripening time. Therefore, the contribution of free amino acid profiles to quality in cheeses preserved by frozen storage may be considered similar to that in traditionally ripened cheeses.