Chemical and physicochemical changes in Serrana goat cheese submitted to extra-long ripening periods

Goat milk cheese is highly appreciated since ancient times. However, besides being consumed close to its production date, according to the common practice, there is an increasing trend towards consuming goat milk cheese submitted to long ripening periods. Throughout this process, several chemical changes are expected, justifying the different properties presented by ripe cheese in comparison to fresh one. Accordingly, proximate composition, salt percentage, saponifiable matter, color parameters, pH and fatty acids were compared in cheese submitted to medium, long and extra-long ripening. The parameters showing significant changes among different ripening periods were effectively identified, highlighting fatty acids as the ones with highest variation. Actually, fatty acids profiles were successfully assayed as a chemical fingerprint of goat milk cheese submitted to different ripening periods. This result raised up the possibility of discriminating goat milk cheese ripening period using a single, fast and reliable chromatographic methodology.