Fatty acid profiling of bovine milk and cheese from six European areas by GC-FID and GC-MS

The fatty acid (FA) composition of milk from six European areas, as well as the alteration in the FA profile during cheese production, was studied using both a targeted GC-FID and an untargeted GC-MS approach. By applying principal component, partial least square discriminant and chemical similarity enrichment analysis, a discrimination of the geographical areas could be achieved highlighting important FA classes such as odd- and branched-chain FAs for the differentiation. The FA profile remained constant during cheese production, and aroma compounds have been identified as biomarkers for the ripening methods used, namely foil and smear ripening.

Automated summary

By studying the fatty acid composition of milk from six European areas and the changes during cheese production, the geographical areas were differentiated based on important fatty acid classes such as odd- and branched-chain fatty acids. The fatty acid profile remained constant during cheese production, while aroma compounds were identified as biomarkers for the ripening methods used (foil and smear ripening).