Variation in organic acids content during ripening of pickled white cheese

PubMed ID: 12201516Nine organic acids (formic, pyruvic, lactic, acetic, orotic, citric, uric, propionic, and butyric) were analyzed during ripening of pickled White cheese for 12 mo by high-performance liquid chromatography with a reverse phase CIS (120x 5-mm) column and UV detector. The level of total organic acids showed an increase along the ripening period, but its composition varied during the process. Initially, lactic acid accounted for 95% of the total, after 9 and 12 mo of ripening, butyric acid constituted 20 and 27% of the total, respectively. Each organic acid presented a characteristic pattern of change during ripening. Discriminant analysis classified cheeses according to their age. Stepwise regression analysis allowed estimation of the ripening time of samples according to their organic acid levels.The authors thank Özer Kinik and Kadir Damci for their technical assistance. This work was supported by Univ. of the Aegean , Faculty of Agriculture , Research Fund Council . -