BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF 3 TYPES OF GOAT CHEESE

Changes in composition, N and lipid fractions, casein breakdown, and hardness were studied in two batches of three different types of goat cheese: fresh; semi-hard, washed curd; and Majorero cheese. The characteristics of the fresh cheese were not altered by 15 d of chilled storage. The water-soluble N and NPN fractions in the semi-hard, washed curd and Majorero cheeses increased during ripening; after 2 mo, the percentages of water-soluble N in the two cheeses, respectively, were 41.1 and 28.1%; the NPN fraction accounted for 55.7 and 51.6% of these totals. At the end of the study, the percentages of degradation of the alpha(s)- and beta-caseins were 54 and 19%, respectively, in the Majorero cheese; breakdowns of these two casein fractions were similar (35%) in the semi-hard, washed curd cheese. No changes were observed in the fatty acid composition during the study. The total FFA contents at the end of ripening were 6114 ppm in the Majorero cheese and 9790 ppm in the semi-hard, washed curd cheese.