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Profiling aged artisanal Cheddar cheese using secondary electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Heather D Bean1, Theodore R Mellors1, Jiangjiang Zhu2
1†Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College,14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, United States.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
|April 14, 2015
Summary
Secondary electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (SESI-MS) offers a non-destructive way to analyze food. This study shows SESI-MS can track cheese aging by analyzing volatile compounds, aiding artisanal producers.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Mass Spectrometry
Background:
- Direct injection mass spectrometry methods enable non-destructive food sampling without prior preparation.
- Applications include food safety assessment and origin verification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of secondary electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (SESI-MS) for analyzing artisanal Cheddar cheese.
- To assess SESI-MS's capability in characterizing cheese based on aging periods.
Main Methods:
- Artisanal Cheddar cheeses aged for one to three years were analyzed using SESI-MS.
- Volatile fingerprints were collected in both positive- and negative-ion modes.
Main Results:
- SESI-MS fingerprints demonstrated age-dependent variations.
- The technique successfully categorized cheeses by aging period and identified age-related volatile component changes.
- Individual cheese batches were robustly discriminated.
Conclusions:
- SESI-MS volatile fingerprinting is a viable method for characterizing artisanal cheese during production and aging.
- This technique provides valuable data for producers to optimize product value.
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