Limburger cheese

In soft cheeses, such as Brie, Camembert, and Limburger, the following sulfur compounds were implicated 3-(methylthio)propanol, MT, DMS, DMDS, DMTS, dimethyl tetrasulfide, methyl ethyl disulfide, diethyl disulfide, 2,4-dithiapentane, 3-methylthio-2,4-dithiapentane, methional, 2,4,5-trithiahex-ane, 1,1-fe-methylmercaptodisulfide, methyl thioacetate (=methanethiol acetate), benzothiazole, methylthiobenzothiazole, methyl ethyl sulfonate, methyl methane thiosulfonate, thiophene 2-aldehyde, and H2S.34 Many of these were only present in small amounts Limburger cheese was notable for 13.2% of DMDS, 0.5% of methyl thioacetate, and 0.8% of DMTS. 

Many hunters react to their prey s overall scent or some of its components, perhaps the smell of fur or some less complex odor. One of the world s most injurious insects, the African malaria mosquito (Anopheles gambiae), prefers humans to other sources of a blood meal. Oddly, whenever possible the mosquitoes bite people on their feet. This predilection reflects their strong attraction to the mixture of fatty acids that we associate with smelly feet. Humans may find the odor offensive, but these mosquitoes know it as a fragrant guide to blood. The same fatty acids also draw them to another odor that offends some people, the smell of Limburger cheese. 

Help, he cries. Bile-green, stinking surface scum washes into his mouth. The smell of Limburger cheese and rotten eggs is everywhere. I m going to drown he says. He would have vomited if he had any substantial amount of food in his stomach. 

Properties Oily, colorless or slightly yellow liquid odor of Limburger cheese. D 0.9276 (20/4C), fp -4.0C, bp 205C, refr index 1.4168 (20C), wt/gal 7.71b, viscosity 0.031 cP (20C), flash p 215F (101C OC). Soluble in alcohol and ether shghtly soluble in water. Combustible. 

Caproic acid hexanoic acid Characteristic odor of Limburger cheese... 

Caprylic C7H15COOH 15 Butter, cocoa-nut oil, Limburg cheese. 

Several alkyl-branched fatty acids were found to be powerful and characteristic food flavors. 2-Methylbutyric acid is an important constituent of the aroma of cranberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) (77). 3-Methyl-valeric acid and isovaleric acid were identified in tobacco leaves and found to contribute to the distinct sensory properties of Turkish tobacco smoke 590). Isovaleric acid, which has the lowest flavor threshold (0.7 ppm) 522) of all saturated fatty acids, is regarded as an essential flavor component of Limburger cheese (575). ( )-3-Methyl-2-hexenoic acid was recognized as the malodorous component of schizophrenics sweat (579). The undesirable odor of mutton can be attributed to branched-chain and unsaturated fatty acids having 8 to 10 carbon atoms. The 4-methyl-branched acids and in particular 4-methyloctanoic and 4-methyl-... 

Limburger cheese Then there is the isomer, 2-methylbutanoic acid. .. 

Limburger cheese - http //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File Gheese limburger edit.jpg... 

Properties Colorless oily liq., odor of Limburger cheese very sol. in ether, fixed oils si, sol, in water m.w. 116.18 dens. 0.9295 (20/20 C) f.p. -3.4 C b.p. 205 C flash pt, (COC) 215 F ref index 1.415-1.418 Toxicoiogy LD50 (oral, rat) 3000 mg/kg, (IP, mouse) 3180 mg/kg, (subcul., mouse) 3180 mg/kg, (skin, rabbit) 630 mg/kg mod. toxic by ing., skin contacf IP, and subcut. routes corrosive skin and severe eye irritant mutagenic data TSCA listed Precaution DOT Corrosive material combustible exposed to heat or flame can react with oxidizers... 

This pyridoxal phosphate-requiring enzyme has been studied in several bacteria and X-ray crystal structures are available.35 The coryneform bacterium, Brevi-bacterium linens, is common on the surface of several cheeses, including Limburger and those of the Trappist type. The methionine y-lyase of this organism has been purified to homogeneity36 and the relevant gene, mgl (from MGL, abbreviation for methionine y-lyase) has been cloned and analyzed.37... 

In surface smear-ripened cheeses, e.g. Munster, Limburger, Tilsit, Trapist, the surface of the cheese is colonized first by yeasts which catabolize lactic acid, causing the pH to increase, and then by Brevibacterium linens, the characteristic micro-organism of the surface smear but which does not grow below pH 5.8, and various other micro-organisms, including Micrococcus, Arthrobacter and coryneform bacteria. 

An example of experimental bias can be seen in the example of the mouse in the maze experiment. In this example, a researcher is timing mice as they move through the maze towards a piece of cheese. The experiment relies on the mouse s ability to smell the cheese as it approaches. If one mouse chases a piece of Cheddar cheese, while another chases Limburger, or so called stinky cheese, clearly the Limburger mouse has a huge advantage over the mouse chasing Cheddar. To remove the experimental bias from this experiment, the same cheese should be used in both tests. 

Cheeses with a very pungent aroma caused by bacteria that live in the rind and on the cheese surface (such as Pont lEveque, Limburger or Romadur) contain phenol, cresol, acetophenone and methylth-ioesters of lower fatty acids (8-185), such as methyl thioacetate (R = H), methyl thiopropionate (R =CH3) and methyl thiobu-tyrate (R = CH2CH3) as flavourings. Other important flavouring substances include C4-C1Q fatty acids, especially capric acid, alkan-2-ones (methylketones) and alkan-2-ols. 

Urbach (78) recently discussed the formation of volatile flavor compounds in different varieties of cheeses and provided a compilation of important aroma compounds. A recent qualitative assessment by Sable and Cottenceau (79) surveys the significant flavor volatiles that have been identified in soft mold-ripened cheeses, including Camembert, Brie, blue, Gorgonzola, Muenster, and Limburger, among others. Octen-3-ol, 2-phenylethanol, and 2-phenylethyl acetate are character impact... 

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