Cheese flavour

The taste of cheese is concentrated in the water-soluble fraction (peptides, amino acids, organic acids, amines, NaCl) while the aroma is mainly in the volatile fraction. Initially, it was believed that cheese flavour was due to one 

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Whey powder can be used as a substitute for milk powder but the flavour effects of some whey powders do not suit all biscuits. In the case of cheese flavoured savoury biscuits whey powder can add useful flavours. 

One of the bars to the use of lactose as a food ingredient is its limited solubility. This can be overcome by enzymatically splitting the lactose to its component monosaccharides dextrose and galactose. These monosaccharides are much more soluble than lactose but can still undergo the Maillard reaction. If the lactose is split into its constituent monosaccharides, whey can be condensed to a relatively stable high solids syrup. These syrups tend to carry some cheese flavour notes but, where used appropriately, can contribute beneficial colours and flavours in biscuits. 

There are few data on concentrations of ethylbenzene in foodstuffs. It has been identified as a trace component in the volatiles from honey, jasmine, papaya, olive oil and cheese flavour and in the neutral component of roast beef flavour isolate (Min et al., 1979 Fishbein, 1985). Trace quantities of ethylbenzene have been detected in split peas (13 ig/kg), lentils (5 ig/kg) and beans (mean, 5 pg /kg maximum 11 pg /kg (Lovegren et al., 1979). Concentrations of ethylbenzene in orange peel (23.6 ng/g dry weight) and in parsley leaves (0.257 pg/g dry weight) have been reported (Goma-Binjul etal., 1996). 

The production of sulphur compounds is believed to be very important in the development of Cheddar cheese flavour. Residual sulphydryl oxidase activity may play a role in initially reoxidizing sulphydryl groups exposed upon heating cheesemilk the sulphydryl groups thus protected may be reformed during the ripening process. 

Lipolysis. Some lipolysis occurs in all cheeses the resulting fatty acids contribute to cheese flavour. In most varieties, lipolysis is rather limited (Table 10.5) and is caused mainly by the limited lipolytic activity of the starter and non-starter lactic acid bacteria, perhaps with a contribution from indigenous milk lipase, especially in cheese made from raw milk. 

Exogenous enzymes, usually proteinases and/or peptidases. For several reasons, this approach has had limited success, except for enzyme-modified cheeses (EMC). These are usually high-moisture products which are used as ingredients for processed cheese, cheese spreads, cheese dips or cheese flavourings. 

Kinsella, J.E. and Hwang, D.H. (1976) Enzymes of Penicillium roqueforti involved in the biosynthesis of cheese flavour. CRC Crtt. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr., 8, 191-228. 

Urbach, G. (1993) Relations between cheese flavour and chemical composition. Int. Dairy J., 3, 3899-422. 

A very well known dairy product is Roquefort cheese, its flavour is generated by mould action. This so called Blue cheese flavour is attributed to methyl ketones and is formed by the degradation of fatty acids by Penicillium roquefortii. The production of these bioflavours has also been investigated by our group [12,13] and will not be further discussed here. 

Penicillium roqueforti Yeasts Cheese flavouring (Roquefort blue cheese)... 

Protease Peptidase Various Microorganisms Cheese Flavour Various Proteases Cloned, Improvements by Enzyme Engineering (Focused on Use in Detergents)... 

Lipases (fat-cleaving enzymes) derived from mucor type moulds play an important role in the manufacturing of cheese flavour concentrates (Enzyme Modified Cheese,... 

EMC). Such natural flavour concentrates as they have to be declared according to the new flavour guideline [6], are used in dosages of 0.5-2.5% e.g. for cheese spreads, cheese pastry, cheese sauces and cheese-containing finished meals [7], The use of EMC cheese flavours reduces the added amount of cheese by up to 90% and therefore effects a significant price reduction of the end products. In addition, the reduction of cholesterol and calories in the finished menu is important for nutritional considerations. 

The formation of typical cheese flavours during natural ripening processes are not fully understood yet. The majority of reactions last for an extended time period (months) and comprise oxidative, inter- and intramolecular, enzymatic or microbial (cf. blue cheese) reactions. Substrates are partially very reactive milk-based ingredients which are mainly transformed to volatile flavour intensive compounds like esters, methylketones, aldehydes, lactones and sulphur containing products. The effect of enzymes on the flavour enhancement is also not fully understood. By variation of lipase dosage, reaction time and reaction temperature the production of different flavour notes from milk and butterfat is possible. 

Figure 3.16 shows that it is possible to employ an additional fermentation with typical starter cultures following the lipolytic reaction and in this example manufacture a roquefort flavour [8]. The additional application of lipaseesterases for the formation of typical ageing notes in cheese flavour is possible. In addition, amino acid catabo-... 

Enzymatic modification of milk fats with lipolytic enzymes has already been mentioned above. Besides this it is possible to manufacture complex cheese flavours today also by fermentation of raw materials of cheese processing with defined microorganisms. Roquefort and other blue cheese flavours fermented by the mould Penicil-lium Roqueforti are currently in commercial production. 

Some other cheese flavours (Provolone, Emmentaler and other miscellaneous cheesy flavour notes) can be obtained by fermentation of edible fats by means of microorganisms which are producing butter or propionic acid from these fats. 

Dairy Hydrolysis of milk fat Cheese ripening Modification butter fat Elavour compounds Cheese, cheese flavour Butter, butter flavour... 

Excessive proteolysis, however, leads to excessive loss of fat and cheese yield and adversely fects cheese flavour and texture. 

Yvon, M., and Rijnen, L. 2001. Cheese flavour formation by amino acid catabolism. Int. Dairy J. 11 185-201. 

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