Characterization of aroma compounds in the volatile fraction of soft goat cheese during ripening

A traditional Sainte-Maure soft cheese was analyzed from 2 days to 31 days of ripening for ils gross composition, total and free fatty acid distribution and the aroma cornpounds in the volaiile fraction of cheese, which were studied by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.Cheese ripening was characterized by a very low level of casein proteolysis, 5%, which was hydrolyzed in low molecular mass peptides, and by a high lipolysis level, up to 6% of free to total fatty acids at the end of ripening.The volatile fraction of cheese was studied using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.Among the 38 compounds identified in the volatile fraction, seven were characterized by olfactometry as having a specifie cheese or goat cheese aroma.They were: hexanoic, octanoic, nonanoic, decanoic 3-methylbutanoic, 4-methyloctanoic and 4-ethyloctanoic.Sorne acids were present at levels higher than their threshold value (TV) even in 2-day cheeses, while sorne others only reached their TV in the 31-day cheeses, showing that the flavor of ripened cheeses was different from that of fresh cheeses.© InralElsevier, Paris.goat cheese 1 ripening 1 aroma compound Résumé -Caractérisation des composés d'arôme dans la fraction volatile de fromages de chèvre à pâte molle au cours de la maturation.Un fromage de chèvre traditionnel de type Sainte-Maure a été analysé à 5 stades de maturation compris entre 2 jours et 31 jours.La maturation était caractérisée par une très faible protéolyse de la caséine (5 %) qui était hydrolysée en peptides de faible poids moléculaire.En revanche, la lipolyse atteignait des valeurs élevées en fin d'affinage, 6 % des acides gras totaux du fromage étant à l'état d'acides gras libres.