Search Results (8)

The reuse of by-products from plant processing as feed for animals aligns with the principles of a circular economy. Feeding dairy ruminants agro-industrial by-products often alters the chemical composition and sensory characteristics of dairy items. A dual approach—classic with neuro-sensory techniques—was utilized to evaluate the effect of prickly pear by-products on the diets of dairy ewes. Fresh Pecorino cheeses made from the milk of two groups of sheep fed with and without prickly pear by-product silage were analyzed for chemical composition and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Furthermore, a neurosensory approach with consumers was used, combining electroencephalography (EEG) and temporal dominance of sensations techniques (TDS). Prickly pear silage in sheep diets did not alter the chemical composition of fresh cheese, but it did modify its fatty acids, with a significant increase in SFA (+2.60%) and PUFA (+0.33%), with a better n-6/n-3 ratio (−0.35%) due to higher omega-3 fatty acid content (+0.23%). The identification of VOCs revealed an increase in caproic acid (+27.27%) and n-caprylic acid (+6.47%) and a greater presence of sweet notes in the prickly pear-based cheeses, which exhibited a different aromatic complexity compared with the control cheeses. Even with a neuromarketing approach, sweetness remained the predominant sensation. Full article

In Italy, in ten years, the national production of sheep’s cheese has gone from 60 thousand tons to almost 80 thousand tons at present, a sign of a lively dynamism of the sector mainly due to a growth in demand. The significant leap in production is accompanied by that of consumption and is mainly due to pecorino (fresh and seasoned), which, together with fresh ricotta, is gaining acceptance in the national and international markets. The objective of the paper is to examine, in a study area of southern Italy, consumer preferences for locally produced pecorino cheese near kilometer zero and the profit margins of the dairy companies producing pecorino. The interviews with consumers made it possible to explore purchasing preferences based on the reasons for choosing and the points of sale where consumers buy the cheese. The interviews with the manufacturing companies highlighted a different business organization of the single production units whose economic results show, despite the difficulties, the resilience of the companies. The company’s net margins per quintal of processed milk are more or less satisfactory and supported by the positive interest of consumers. As for the latter, they show increasingly pushed trends towards the purchase of niche products at Km0, made with more sustainable production systems. Full article

There is limited information regarding artisanal cheese making that can help entrepreneurs evaluate business opportunities and make realistic business decisions. The objective of this study was to assess the economic feasibility, benefits and challenges of on-farm artisanal cheese making. A model was designed to evaluate the economic feasibility of processing hard pecorino-style cheese and soft fresh ricotta on four different smallholder farms. The study assumed a small-scale family-owned business with an average herd size of 10 lactating cows, using 80 L of raw milk a day to make cheese. Projected Cash Flow Statement was used to determine the economic feasibility of cheese making. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using a factor of 10% to determine the changes in net cash flows by varying the milk volume, cheese selling price and both. The positive projected cash flow after the sensitivity analysis for the four farms ranged from $24,073.84 to $33,783.5. The breakeven quantity for the four farms ranged from 325.82 kg to 357.88 kg per year.Overall, the results show that artisanal cheese making is economically viable under the given model assumptions. However, the major challenge noted is that most farmers lack knowledge in terms of the processing techniques, market opportunities and production costs involved in cheese making. Access to this information by small-scale milk producers is vital in considering cheese making as a business. Full article

The aim of this study was to produce a fresh ovine pressed cheese within Pecorino “Primosale” typology with the addition of citrus essential oils (EOs). For this purpose, ewe’s pasteurized milk was added with EOs from the peel of lemons, oranges and tangerines. Seven cheese productions were performed at the pilot plant scale level, including one control production (CP) without the addition of EOs and six experimental productions obtained by the addition of two EO concentrations (100 and 200 µL/L) to milk. The acidification process was obtained by means of the starter cultures Lactococcus lactis CAG4 and PON36. All cheeses showed levels of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) around 10⁹ CFU/g, indicating that citrus EOs did not negatively influence the starter evolution. The addition of citrus EOs did not determine significant variations for dry matter, fat and protein percentages but increased the antioxidant capacity of all the experimental cheeses of about 50% in comparison to the control trial. The citrus EOs impacted cheese VOCs, especially for terpene class (limonene, β-pinene, myrcene, carene, linalool and α-terpineol). The sensory evaluation showed that cheeses enriched with 100 µL/L of citrus EOs were mostly appreciated by the panelists. Full article

This work was performed to produce a new soft ewe’s milk cheese, namely “Quadrello di ovino” (QdO) cheese, to enlarge ewe’s dairy product portfolio of South Italy, barely limited to Pecorino cheese typology. Cheese making was performed applying the technology for “Crescenza” cheese typology with some modifications. In particular, pasteurized ewes’ milk was inoculated with two commercial starter formulations (SF1 and SF2) of Streptococcus thermophilus to obtain two different productions (QdO-P1 and QdO-P2, respectively). Plate counts demonstrated the ability of both starter formulations to drive the fermentation process, since S. thermophilus counts reached 10⁹ CFU/g in both productions. Generally, the two starter formulations did not affect the chemical composition of QdO cheeses that contained, on average, 64.08% dry matter of which approximately 54.99% were fats and 36.39% proteins. Among chemical parameters, significant differences were registered for secondary lipid oxidation state (significantly lower for QdO-P2), fatty acids and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, the differences registered among cheese VOCs from were not perceived by the panelists who recognized both cheese productions highly similar, although QdO-P2 cheeses were mostly appreciated by the judges. This study allowed to produce a novel fresh ovine cheese with specific chemical and sensorial characteristics well appreciated by consumers. Full article

This review article focuses on the technological aspects and microbiological critical points of pressed-cooked cheeses processed from raw ewe’s milk without the inoculation of starter cultures, in particular “Pecorino” cheese typology produced in Italy. After showing the composition of the biofilms adhering to the surface of the traditional dairy equipment (mainly wooden vat used to collect milk) and the microbiological characteristics of PDO Pecorino Siciliano cheese manufactured throughout Sicily, this cheese is taken as a case study to develop a strategy to improve its hygienic and safety characteristics. Basically, the natural lactic acid bacterial populations of fresh and ripened cheeses were characterized to select an autochthonous starter and non-starter cultures to stabilize the microbial community of PDO Pecorino Siciliano cheese. These bacteria were applied at a small scale level to prove their in situ efficacy, and finally introduced within the consortium for protection and promotion of this cheese to disseminate their performances to all dairy factories. The innovation in PDO Pecorino Siciliano cheese production was proven to be respectful of the traditional protocol, the final cheeses preserved their typicality, and the general cheese safety was improved. An overview of the future research prospects is also reported. Full article

To evaluate the safety and risk assessment of cheese consumption in the Republic of Korea, sixty cheese samples purchased from the farmstead and retails markets (imported) were analyzed for their biogenic amine (BA) contents. The BA profiles and quantities of eight amines (tryptamine, 2-phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, spermidine, and spermine) were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Spermine was the only amine detectable in all the samples. The BAs of fresh cheeses from both farmstead and retail markets were mostly undetectable, and comparatively at lower levels (<125 mg/kg) than ripened samples. Putrescine was undetectable in all the domestic ripened cheeses. The sum of BA levels in the imported ripened cheeses of Pecorino Romano (1889.75 mg/kg) and Grana Padano (1237.80 mg/kg) exceeds >1000 mg/kg, of which histamine accounts nearly 86 and 77% of the total levels, respectively. The tolerable limits of the potential toxic amines, histamine and tyramine surpassed in four and three imported ripened samples, respectively. Furthermore, the presence of potentiators (putrescine and cadaverine) together in samples even with a lower level of toxic amines alarms the risk in consumption. Therefore, adoption of strict hygienic practices during the entire chain of cheese production, along with obligatory monitoring and regulation of BA in cheeses seems to be mandatory to ensure the safety of the consumers. Full article

Zinc represents a ubiquitous element in cells with relevant roles in the metabolism of essential nutrients in animals. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary zinc supplementation on nutritional and aromatic properties of milk and Pecorino cheeses obtained from lactating ewes. Fifty-two commercial ewes were randomly assigned to two groups. The control group was fed with a conventional complete diet, while the experimental group received a daily supplementation of 375 mg/head of zinc oxide. At the end of the trial, which lasted 30 days, samples of milk and related cheese were collected in order to obtain information about the chemical composition and volatile profile. The experimental feeding strategy induced a significant increase in zinc concentration in milk. Furthermore, both in milk and cheese, was observed an increase in vaccenic, rumenic and total polyunsaturated fatty acids, with the consequent significant reduction of atherogenic and thrombogenic indices. The volatile profile of dairy products was also positively affected by dietary zinc intake, with an increase in concentration of hexanoic acid and ethyl esters. The present study suggests interesting possible effects of dietary zinc supplementation of ewes in improving the nutritional characteristics of fresh and ripened dairy products, although more specific and in-depth assessments should be performed on these new products, in order to characterize potential variations on consumers acceptability. Full article