Flavour and texture of cheeses according to grazing type : the Abundance cheese

Abstract

The influence of the pasture type on the milk characteristics and cheeses was studied in the PDO(Protective Designation of Origin) zone of Abundanceon 10 pastures managed by three milk farmers whomake their own cheeses. The experiment started beforegrazing with the same hay diet being given to all threeherds in order to estimate the herd variations. The characteristics of the ingested fodder were measured, aswell as those of the corresponding milks and cheeses for three consecutive days. The sensorial characteristics of the cheeses, and in particular their texture, varied markedly according to the nature of the foddereaten. Cheese texture was related to plasmin activity, to the amounts of long polyunsaturated fatty acids, which were higher in the milk from the cows who grazedat high altitudes (>1500 m) and to the rate of acid ificationduring cheese pressing, which was slowerwith milks from certain pastures. Differences in cheese flavour were observed for milks from different pastures; this was in relation to the secondary proteolysis and the composition of the volatile components of these cheeses. A direct transfer of hay terpenes to milk andthen cheeses was shown, with a probably indirect role on cheese flavour via a modification of the metabolic activity of the micro-organisms during cheese ripening.The bitterness of some cheeses was associated with adelay in acidification during cheese pressing. The relationships between the nature of the pasture and cheese characteristics were essentially indirect.