title: Fatty acid and sensory profiles of Caciocavallo cheese as affected by management system.
abstract: The effect of season of the year associated with changes in feeding and management system (pasture-based vs. confinement) on milk and cheese fatty acid profile and on sensory properties of Caciocavallo cheese was evaluated on 3 mountain dairy farms. Each farm used a pasture-based feeding system from April to June and from September to October (PS), and a confinement system for the rest of the year (CS). As a consequence of grazing, PS milk showed higher percentages of C18:3, cis-9,trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid, and trans-11 C18:1, and a reduced percentage of C16:0. The fatty acid profile of cheese largely reflected that of the corresponding raw milk from which cheese was made. This led to a significant decrease of atherogenic index in cheeses produced from cows on pasture. Based on sensory analysis, cheese from animals kept on pasture was more yellow and had a lower intensity of butter and smoked odors than did CS cheese. In addition, grazing induced a lower intensity of bitter and a higher intensity of spicy flavors compared with cheese from CS animals. In regard to texture, pasture feeding resulted in higher intensity of friability and graininess. All cheeses performed well in consumer tests; the panel found all samples more than acceptable for overall liking, and for liking according to appearance, taste/flavor, and texture. Overall liking of Caciocavallo cheese, as assessed by slope analysis, was affected primarily by taste/flavor (raw slope k=0.88) and texture (k=0.97), whereas appearance had a lesser effect (k=0.72). The acidic and sensory profiles of cheese were well discriminated, with healthier cheeses produced by grazing cows. Therefore, wider use of pasture should be promoted to accentuate this favorable feature. Based on the specific nutritional and sensory characteristics of mountain Caciocavallo cheese, particularly that obtained from grazing animals, efforts should be made to indicate the quality of this cheese to the consumer and improve product recognition.
authors.affiliation: University of Pretoria, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Department of Production Animal Studies, 0110, Onderstepoort, South Africa.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Agraria, Università di Napoli "Federico II," Via Università 100, 80055 Portici (Napoli), Italy. Electronic address: felicia.masucci@unina.it.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Masucci
authors.affiliation: Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Napolitano
authors.affiliation: Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Braghieri
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Agraria, Università di Napoli "Federico II," Via Università 100, 80055 Portici (Napoli), Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Agraria, Università di Napoli "Federico II," Via Università 100, 80055 Portici (Napoli), Italy.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Manzo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Agraria, Università di Napoli "Federico II," Via Università 100, 80055 Portici (Napoli), Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Francia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology; D002611:Cheese / Q000032:analysis*; D003612:Dairying / Q000379:methods*; D004032:Diet; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D007558:Italy; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry*; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis; D012621:Seasons; D013649:Taste
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids
keywords: Caciocavallo cheese quality; feeding system; management system; pasture