Physico-Chemical, Microbiological and Sensory Characteristics of Cabra del Guadarrama Cheese and Other Cheeses from Different Spanish Autochthonous Goat Breeds.

Abstract

Physico-chemical analyses, fatty acid profiles, microbiological analyses and sensory characteristics (assessed by trained judges and by consumers) were carried out on four types of goat cheese produced in artisanal cheese factories using raw milk from different autochthonous Spanish goat breeds (Malagueña, Florida, Murciano-Granadina and Cabra del Guadarrama). The cheeses studied were different in fat, protein, salt, pH, moisture, acidity and color due to the different production technologies and the properties of the milk of each breed. Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) were the predominant fatty acids in all the goat milk cheeses studied. Cabra del Guadarrama Cheese (CGC) and Malagueña Cheese (MC) showed an n-6/n-3 ratio < 4, and MC was found to have the lowest atherogenic and thrombogenic indices. CGC had a lower fat content than the rest of the cheeses studied. The fatty acid profile of CGC was more similar to MC than to Florida Cheese (FC) and Murciano-Granadina Cheese (MGC). MGC had a higher atherogenic and thrombogenic index, a higher PUFA n-6/n-3 ratio than the rest of the cheeses studied and a higher fat content. Therefore, CGC, MC and FC had a healthier lipid profile than MGC. The texture properties of CGC and FC were more similar to each other than to those of MC and MGC (harder cheeses). Sensory analyses performed with trained judges were in accordance with instrumental texture parameters. Consumer acceptability was similar for all the cheeses under blind conditions and only under informed conditions did consumers score FC significantly higher than MGC. In a rank test FC was chosen as the better cheese for a greater number of consumers both in blind and in informed conditions. The provision of information improved the overall liking of Cabra del Guadarrama Cheese and worsened that of Murciano-Granadina Cheese. The high quality of the cheeses confirms the need to raise consumer awareness of autochthonous goat breeds to increase the consumption of these products in order to contribute to the preservation of these breeds.