Characterization of the free fatty acids profile of Pategrás cheese during ripening

This work compares the free fatty acids (FFA) profiles of Pategrás cheeses manufactured on the pilot scale, with and without the addition of probiotics. Total and FFA in milks and cheeses, respectively, were similar, indicating a nonselective release during ripening. Lipolysis was lo for control cheeses, but somewhat higher for those made in summer, probably because of an elevated psychrotrophic bacterial development. Probiotic bacteria remained highly viable during ripening and had an influence on FFA profiles. A simple sensory profiling of the cheeses showed no differences in flavour and taste and little evidence of treatment effects was found using univariate analysis. Nevertheless, multivariate analysis showed clear differences between probiotic and control products.