CONTRIBUTIONS OF COW, SHEEP, AND GOAT MILKS TO CHARACTERIZING BRANCHED-CHAIN FATTY-ACID AND PHENOLIC FLAVORS IN VARIETAL CHEESES

Selected goat milk (fresh, semi-soft), sheep milk (Pyrenees, Roquefort), and cow milk (Blue, Cheddar) cheeses were analyzed for FFA using a sensitive gas chromatographic technique. Qualitative profiles for most FFA were similar in the samples, except that 4-ethyloctanoic acid was not found in cow milk cheese. Milk fat of cows contained low concentrations of 4-methyloctanoic acid, but milk fat of sheep and goat contained significant amounts of both 4-methylotanoic and 4-ethyloctanoic acids, which contributed mutton-like and goat-like flavors, respectively. Pyrenees sheep milk cheese contained significant amounts of methyl-and ethyl-substituted phenols, which contributed characterizing sheep-like flavor notes to this cheese variety.