Impact of ripening strains on the typical flavour of goat cheeses

The strong and characteristic “goat” flavour is one of the most important quality components of French cheeses made from goat milk. This study was designed in order to evaluate the impact of different ripening strains on this typical flavour. Goat milk was incubated with selected ripening strains (yeasts and moulds), and two types of cheeses were produced: Sainte-Maure cheese (lactic coagulation technology) and Camembert-type cheese (lactic-rennet coagulation technology). Sensory evaluation of the cheeses was performed by trained panellists, and physico-chemical parameters (including lipolysis) were measured. The results showed that cheeses made with Geotrichum candidum as a ripening agent were characterised by a strong typical flavour, whereas the use of Penicillium candidum was detrimental for the sensorial quality of cheeses. These results were related to the lipolytic and flavouring activities of the different strains, which displayed considerable quantitative and qualitative variations.