Chemical and sensory profiles of commercial goat cheeses

This study characterised the chemical and sensory properties of 15 non-spreadable goat cheeses (eight fresh and seven ripened). The majority of the cheeses had a short ripening period. Hence, low free fatty acid (FFA) contents were detected. The main difference among the cheeses was the short-chain FFA content, which was higher in the ripened cheeses, and responsible for their distinctive odours and flavours. In both types of cheeses (fresh and ripened), lactic acid was the most abundant organic acid (OA), followed by propionic acid. Hierarchical cluster analysis identified three distinct groups of samples with marked differences in their texture and flavour attributes. The percentage of moisture was positively correlated to sensory attributes such as surface film, solubility, moistness and sourness, and negatively correlated to the firmness and saltiness. No significant correlation was found among sensory attributes and total fat percentage or any of the OAs.