5 - Flavors in Cheese and Dairy Products

Question 1

Important parameters in milk

Answer 1

Mouthfeel, taste, aroma

Question 2

In milk fats, _________ influences the oxidation rate that would create off-flavor.

Answer 2

degree of unsaturation

Question 3

Primary aroma is dictated by the milk it self, while the secondary aroma is mainly dictated by _______.

Answer 3

processing

Question 4

Main taste compounds in milk

Answer 4

lactose and dissolved salts

Question 5

4 enzyme sources that involved in cheese flavor

Answer 5

Milk (indigenous), starter culture, rennet, secondary flora

Question 6

Function of starter during ripening

Answer 6

produce lactic acid, metabolize citric acid, break down protein, fat, and hippuric acid

Question 7

Besides chymosin, these enzymes are commonly present in rennet.

Answer 7

pepsin and lipase

Question 8

(T/F) Higher temperature processing, thus it needs thermophilic starter cultures, is used to make hard cheese

Answer 8

True

Question 9

Lactose, galactose, or glucose is catabolized into ______ which contribute to the flavor of acid-curd cheese and ripened cheese.

Answer 9

lactate (L- or D-lactate)

Question 10

(T/F) Extensive lipolysis is desirable in smooth, not so intense cheese (e.g. cheddar), but undesirable in very intense cheese (e.g. blue cheese)

Answer 10

False

Question 11

How free fatty acids in cheese could contribute to the flavor? Briefly explain the two mechanism!

Answer 11

(1) the FAA itself, which is in low Mw, that could contribute to the flavor
(2) as the precursor of various aroma compounds in further degradation

Question 12

4 important things the protein metabolism play roles in.

Answer 12

(1) Textural changes in curd
(2) Direct contribution of flavor and off-flavor
(3) changes in food matrix to help releasing aroma
(4) liberation of substrate for secondary catabolic changes

Question 13

Before the production of off-flavor compounds, what flavor profile of milk that is already considered as off-flavor?

Answer 13

Flat flavor in milk

Question 14

Bitterness of cheese is mainly due to the ________, as a result from ________

Answer 14

hydrophobic peptides; proteolysis

Question 15

Common off-flavor mechanism in milk and dairy products

Answer 15

lipid oxidation, microbial action, contamination from sanitizer, thermal abuse, adsorption/permeation of aroma from packaging materials