Free Fatty Acids and Oxidative Changes of a Raw Goat Milk Cheese through Maturation

Free fatty acids (FFA) and lipid and protein oxidation changes were studied throughout maturation process of a raw goat milk cheese with protected designation of origin. Cheeses were analyzed at 4 different times of maturation, at 1, 30, 60, and 90 d. All FFA significantly increased during maturation and the relative increase was higher for long-chain than medium- or short-chain FFA. At the end of maturation, oleic (C18:1 n9), butyric (C4:0), and palmitic (C16:0) acids were the most abundant. The higher levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) regarding total FFA obtained at the end of Ibores cheese ripening compared with other raw goat milk cheeses, highlight the notable role of SCFA on the flavor of this cheese owing to their low-odor thresholds. Lipid oxidation values significantly increased during maturation process but low levels of malondialdehyde were reported; however, protein oxidation did not significantly change during ripening. Practical Application The knowledge of the lypolitic and oxidative changes of cheeses along maturation is essential for the optimization and standardization of cheese changes during manufacture processes. The lack of studies about the lypolitic and the oxidative processes during cheese maturation, and especially in raw goat milk cheeses, make these topics essential to go further in the characterization of cheese ripening processes. In addition, the control of lypolitic and oxidative changes (including lipid and protein oxidation) should be evaluated due to their effect on cheese quality and also for consumers' health if they are produced in a great extent.