The role of propionibacteria in the volatile profile of Pategrás cheeses

WOLF I. V.; PERALTA G.; CANDIOTI, M.C.; PEROTTI M. C.

DAIRY SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

EDP SCIENCES S A

Lugar: Paris; Año: 2016 vol. 96 p. 561 - 567

1958-5586

Pategrás is a typical semi-hard cheese of Argentina. Over the years, successivetechnological changes have been applied to its manufacture, being the addition ofpropionibacteria (PAB) one of the most relevant. The aims of the present work were todetermine some physicochemical parameters and volatile composition of commercialsamples and evaluate the effect of PAB on volatile profile during ripening, by comparingcheeses made at pilot scale, with or without added PAB. Commercial samplesdisplayed some differences in terms of rough composition, mainly ripening degree.Acids, especially short-chain fatty acids (C2 to C4), were the most representative groupof volatile compounds, being propanoic acid the most abundant. Alcohols and ketoneswere other chemical groups that prevailed in the volatile profiles whereas esters andaldehydes constituted a minority fraction. For cheeses made at pilot scale, the levels ofseveral compounds such as diacetyl, acetoin, primary alcohols, ethyl esters, branchedchainaldehydes, branched-chain alcohols, branched-chain acids, and short-chain fattyacids were significantly influenced by the presence of PAB. Most of the changesobserved in the volatile fraction during ripening and the differences found betweencheeses made with and without added PAB were in agreement with published data.This work provides detailed information about the volatile composition of Pategráscheeses made with the inclusion of PAB, which contribute to the characterization of themost traditional Argentinean semi-hard cheese.