title: A new magnetic resonance imaging approach for discriminating Sardinian sheep milk cheese made from heat-treated or raw milk.
abstract: The evaluation of milk heat treatment on dairy products via reliable analytical methods is a challenging issue that involves both industrial and fundamental research. We describe a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol for discriminating Sardinian sheep milk cheese originating from heat-treated or raw milk. Thirty-six samples (18 pecorino cheeses manufactured from heat-treated milk and 18 Fiore Sardo cheeses made from raw milk) were investigated by means of MRI and bi-exponential signal decay analysis. The protocol is capable of discerning cheeses by virtue of the different distribution of the transversal (T2) relaxation time constant. Cheeses from heat-treated milk showed a significantly higher area fraction (≈70-80%), corresponding to the fast relaxing water protons (T2 ≈ 9 ms), compared with raw milk cheeses, whereas the opposite was observed for the long T2 (T2 ≈ 35 ms) proton population. The MRI protocol described is rapid and nondestructive, and it provides statistically significant discrimination between ewe milk cheeses made from heat-treated and raw milk.
authors.affiliation: Porto Conte Ricerche S.r.l., SP 55 Porto Conte/Capo Caccia Km 8.400, Loc Tramariglio 07041 Alghero (SS), Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mulas
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roggio
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uzzau
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anedda
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002611:Cheese / Q000032:analysis*; D003612:Dairying / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007558:Italy; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry*; D061352:Pasteurization / Q000379:methods*; D012756:Sheep; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D014867:Water
keywords: Fiore Sardo protected designation of origin; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); raw milk; thermized milk