INFLUENCE OF RIP-ENING TIME ON THE FATTY ACIDS PROFILE AND LIPID QUALITY OF SOFT CHEESES MADE FROM UNPASTEURISED GOAT`S MILK

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15421/jchemtech.v34i1.333988

Keywords:

Feta, Chevre, saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, index of atherogenicity, index of thrombogenicity, healthy fatty index.

Abstract

Expanding the range of artisanal soft cheeses made from unpasteurised goat's milk on the food market meets consumer demand for healthy nutrition and requires the development of criteria for assessing their quality, biological value, age, and authenticity. This involves determining the dynamics of their fatty acid composition and the quality of milk fat during the ripening process. The experiment used artisanal brine Feta cheese with a ripening period of 30 months and artisanal Chevre cheese with white noble mould with a ripening period of 40 days, made at one of the eco-enterprises of the Kyiv region (Ukraine). The study was conducted from May 2022 to December 2024 using gas chromatography. 15 fatty acids were detected in Feta and Chevre cheeses, of which 11 were saturated and 4 were unsaturated. The basis of saturated fatty acids in Chevre and Feta cheeses was palmitic, stearic, capric, and myristic. The proportion of oleic acid in Feta cheese was inversely correlated with the ripening period (r = –0.920 ± 0.074, P < 0.001). The value of ω3/ω6 PUFA during the ripening period varied for Feta cheese within the range of 1 : 4.96–5.74 and for Chevre cheese – 1 : 4.47–43.16. A distinctive feature of Chevre cheese was an increase in the content of linolenic acid by 0.88–0.94% and linoleic acid by 0.73–1.21% on the 40th day of ripening. According to fat quality indicators, Feta cheese was characterized by the highest dietary properties from the 7th day to the 18th month of ripening, and cheese Chevre - on the 40th day of ripening. The fatty acid profile of artisanal goat cheeses Feta and Chevre can be used as one of the criteria for assessing their age and authenticity in combination with physicochemical and microbiological indicators.

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Published

2026-03-22

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Vol. 34 No. 1 (2026): Journal of Chemistry and Technologies

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Chemical Technology

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