Seasonal changes in the composition of bulk raw ewe's milk used for Idiazabal cheese manufacture

Seasonal changes in the composition of bulk raw ewe's milk used for Idiazabal cheese manufacture and its influence on the cheese yield are reviewed. This review is based on biochemical and microbiological data previously published on the composition of a bulk raw ewe's milk collected at three different times of the year. In order to characterize, in a more extensive perspective, the seasonal changes in the composition of this bulk raw ewe's milk and its influence on actual cheese yield, multivariate statistical analyses were applied to the compositional data of the milk and the actual cheese yield obtained at the factory. The results show pronounced seasonal changes in the composition of bulk raw ewe's milk. Changes in cheese yield, lipolytic activity and microbiological quality of the bulk raw ewe's milk are the principal aspects seasonally affected during the cheesemaking period. Also, the seasonal changes observed in the bulk raw ewe's milk composition strongly affect the quality of Idiazabal cheeses manufactured over the cheesemaking period. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.