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Evolution of the taste of a bitter Camembert cheese during ripening: characterization of a matrix effect
E Engel1, S Nicklaus, C Septier
1Laboratoire de Recherches sur les Arômes, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 17 rue Sully, B.P. 86510, 21065 Dijon Cedex, France.
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to characterize the effect of ripening on the taste of a typically bitter Camembert cheese. The first step was to select a typically bitter cheese among several products obtained by different processes supposed to enhance this taste defect. Second, the evolution of cheese taste during ripening was characterized from a sensory point of view. Finally, the relative impact of fat, proteins, and water-soluble molecules on cheese taste was determined by using omission tests performed on a reconstituted cheese. These omission tests showed that cheese taste resulted mainly from the gustatory properties of water-soluble molecules but was modulated by a matrix effect due to fat, proteins, and cheese structure. The evolution of this matrix effect during ripening was discussed for each taste characteristic.
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