Identification and Quantification of Character Aroma Components in Fresh Chevre‐style Goat Cheese

Chevre‐style goat cheeses were characterized by descriptive sensory analysis as exhibiting sweet dairy flavors as well as a characteristic waxy/animal flavor. Aroma‐active compounds (> 80) with high intensities identified by gas chromatography/olfactometry and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry included 2,3‐butanedione (buttery), 1‐octen‐3‐one (mushroom), o ‐aminoacetophenone (grape), lactones (coconut, peach), octanoic acid (sour/waxy), as well as 4‐methyl and 4‐ethyl octanoic acids (waxy/animal). Subsequent sensory analysis with model cheese systems confirmed that 4‐methyl and 4‐ethyl octanoic acids were responsible for the characteristic waxy/animal flavor.