Physicochemical and sensory properties of mihalic cheese

Abstract

Mihalic is a hard, brined and quite salty cheese. In this study, selected physical, chemical, and sensory properties of 15 Mihalic cheese samples (matured more than six months) in vacuum packaging were investigated using representative samples collected from its major production area in northwestern Turkey. Aroma-active compounds were analyzed by solid phase microextraction and determined by gas chromatography-olfactometry. Average dry matter and fat contents of the cheese were 60.4 and 27.4 g/100 g cheese, respectively. Significant differences were observed among the cheese samples for hardness, adhesiveness, chewiness, and gumminess. Sulfurous, free fatty acids, and barny/animal were major sensory descriptors for the cheese. Methional (boiled potato), (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal (fatty, stale), diacetyl (buttery), 1-octen-3-one (mushroom), ethyl butyrate (sweet, bubble gum), and butyric acid (rancid) were common aroma-active compounds found in Mihalic cheese. © 2014 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.