Determination of regional flavor differences in U.S. Cheddar cheeses aged for 6 mo or longer

Cheddar cheese is a widely popular food in the United States. This product is produced in facilities across the United States and often marketed based on region of manufacture, implying that regional differences in flavor character of the cheese exist. This study was conducted to determine if regional differences in flavor exist in the aged U.S. Cheddar cheeses. Three times per year for 2 y, triplicate 18-kg blocks of Cheddar cheese (< 60 d old) were obtained from 19 manufacturing facilities located in 4 major cheese- producing regions/states: California, Northwest, Midwest, and Northeast. A trained sensory panel documented the flavor characteristics of cheeses after 6-, 9-, 12-, 18-, and 24-mo ripening at 7 degrees C. Regional differences were observed for specific flavors for cheeses manufactured in the Northwest, Midwest, and Northeast across ripening (P < 0.05), but the specific flavors responsible for these effects were not consistent across ripening. Similarly, cheese make procedure effects were also observed for specific flavors across ripening (P < 0.05), but these differences were also not consistent across ripening. The impact of region and cheese make procedure on flavor of the aged Cheddar cheeses was small in comparison to consistently documented, facility-specific flavor differences (P < 0.0001). Flavor profiles of aged Cheddar cheeses were most strongly influenced by practices specific to manufacturing facility rather than region of manufacture.