CLA content and fatty acid composition of Greek Feta and hard cheeses

The CLA concentrations and fatty acid composition of Feta cheese and other Greek cheeses were determined. Greek cheese contains up to 1.9% CLA, with an average of 0.8% of their fat. Greek cheeses derive from sheep and/or goat milk and this is obviously the main reason for the relatively high content of CLA. No relationship was found between the CLA content of cheese and the linoleic acid content, or any other polyunsaturated fatty acid. Additionally, the cheese consumption in Greece is compared with the consumption in other countries of the European Union (EU) and was examined for its relation with mammary cancer figures in the EU. Greece has the lowest percent of breast cancer deaths and the highest cheese consumption among EU countries. This is a first indication that cheese consumption has beneficial effects in mammary cancer protection.