Approaching the sensory profile of Paipa cheese, the Colombian ripened cheese with protected designation of origin

Abstract

Paipa cheese is the unique Colombian ripened cheese produced from raw milk that has a protected designation of origin (PDO); nonetheless, to date, the dairy product lacks a defined sensory profile, since no study has been previously performed. The aim of this study was to approach the definition of the sensory attributes of the Paipa cheeses that are produced within the PDO region in order to establish the organoleptic aspects of the PDO regulation. A trained panel of five members used the multidimensional approach as a descriptive sensory analysis to establish the sensory profile of Paipa cheese; such analysis was complemented with the method used for PDO cheeses were three cheese producers, two government delegates, one gastronomy expert and two Paipa cheese researchers participated in the descriptive sensory analysis. A microbiological assessment (mesophilic aerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, total and fecal coliforms, coagulase-positive Staphylococci, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes) of cheese samples was carried out prior to sensory analysis to guarantee the safety of the samples. The descriptive sensory analysis was performed with 17 cheese samples that represented 77% of Paipa cheese produced in the PDO region. 82 sensory descriptors were identified and 47 were finally established (seven descriptors for appearance, 15 for odor, 15 for taste and 10 for texture) for describing the sensory profile of Paipa cheese. Due to the presence of pathogenic bacteria, the texture and taste profiles of Paipa cheese were based only on three samples. Sensory profiles of cheese samples were highly heterogeneous and it may be a consequence of the variations among raw milk used and/or manufacturing practices of cheese producers. Therefore, in order to find the sensory identity of Paipa cheese and guarantee quality and safety, cheese production and raw milk characteristics must be defined and regulated among milk and Paipa cheese producers.