Influence of the composition of Alpine highland pasture on the chemical, rheological and sensory properties of cheese

Abstract

A study was undertaken to compare the chemical and sensory characteristics of Abondance cheeses made with milk from animals grazing areas within the same highland pasture, but with different predominant plants. Nine cheeses made during the last 3 d of three successive 7 d periods were evaluated. The animals grazed on the southern side of the highland pasture during the first period (15–21 June), on the northern side during the second period (22–29 June) and returned to the southern side for the third period (30 June–6 July). The gross composition of the cheeses did not vary between periods. ‘North’ cheeses contained more plasmin, γ-casein, α_s1-I-casein and water-soluble N than ‘south’ cheeses. Both sensory and instrumental measurements indicated that north cheeses were less firm, stickier and more easily fractured than south cheeses. North cheeses were also more salty, bitter and persistent. Their overall aroma was more intense and they had more intense sour, burnt, toasted, fermented vegetable and sweat aromas, but less intense toffee, exotic fruit and acid milk aromas. The texture differences noted between the cheeses from milk produced on the two areas may come from differences in primary proteolysis, partly due to different amounts of plasmin and plasminogen in milk and in cheeses. The aroma differences were related to differences in volatile compounds. Some compounds had a microbial origin, while some others may have come from the pasture.