Lipolysis of cheeses made from goat milk treated by ultra-high pressure homogenization

The effect of ultra high-pressure homogenization of goat milk (200 MPa, 30 °C) on the lipolytic profile of cheese was studied and compared to cheeses made from homogenized-pasteurized (18 + 2 MPa, 72 °C for 15 s) and pasteurized (72 °C, 15 s) milk. Cheeses produced from ultra high-pressure homogenized milk presented similar levels of lipolysis to those made from pasteurized milk; however, the former showed higher contents of short-chain fatty acids at early stages of ripening. Cheeses made from homogenized-pasteurized milk exhibited the highest levels of lipolysis, presenting twice the levels of total free fatty acids at 30 and 60 days of ripening. Differences in the lipolysis level between the two homogenization technologies could be caused by different changes produced on milk fat globules, making easier or more difficult the fat accessibility for the lipolytic enzymes present in cheese.