Statistical Patterns of Lipase Activities on the Release of Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Cheddar Cheese Slurries

Twenty-five commercial food grade and analytical grade lipases were used to study the patterns of release of short-chain fatty acids (FFA) from milk fat in cheese slurries. Principal Component Analysis showed that there were four distinctive groups indicated by the FFA ratios and five groups indicated by the FFA concentrations. Average Linkage Cluster Analysis also showed similar results although the patterns of FFA released were a matter of distances defined statistically between groups of lipases. All the lipases tested had distinctive specificities in hydrolyzing short-chain FFA from milk fat, and their specificities on the FFA release were reflected on the groupings.