The evolution of free fatty acids during the ripening of Idiazabal cheese:: influence of rennet type

The object of the present study was to determine the influence of the rennet type on the free fatty acid (FFA) content of Idiazabal cheese. Varying this parameter during cheese-making resulted in significant differences in FFA content in the cheeses during ripening. The main FFAs in both cheese batches were caproic acid (C6:0) and capric acid (C10:0). The differences between the extreme values for the lipolysis rate were around 45%, which emphasizes the importance of the cheese-making procedure employed on lipolysis in this type of cheese. The use of locally made rennet in the preparation of Idiazabal cheese increased the level of lipolysis in the cheese.