Aroma release and chewing activity during eating different model cheeses

This study focused on the effect cheese properties had on chewing behaviour and aroma release as well as the relationship between them. Chewing activity and the kinetics of aroma release were simultaneously monitored during the consumption of eight model cheeses with the same flavour content. Differences in chewing behaviour explained most of the variability in aroma release among subjects. Aroma release increased with chewing work, bursts’ number and amplitude. For cheese samples, the chewing behaviour varied according to texture. Interaction between cheese composition and the chewing behaviour effects affected aroma release: (i) decreasing fat content increased aroma release as a result of both higher release from the matrix and higher chewing work and (ii) decreasing melting point and mixing speed during cheese preparation resulted in softer cheese. In this case, the expected increase in aroma release due to greater mobility of the aroma compounds was counteracted by a low chewing activity.