Free fatty acids and volatile compounds of low-fat Feta-type cheese made with a commercial adjunct culture

The effect of a commercial adjunct culture (CR-213), containing Lactococcus Lactis subsp. lactis and Lactococcus Lactis subsp. cremoris, added at the level of 0.06 and 0.09% (w/w) to cheese milk, on lipolysis and formation of volatile compounds was studied. Two controls, a full-fat (∼22% fat) and a low-fat cheese (∼7% fat) were also prepared. The results indicated that the adjunct-treated low-fat cheeses had higher total free fatty acid (TFFA) levels than the low-fat control cheese but lower than the full-fat control cheese. The full-fat cheese had significantly higher levels of TFFA than the low-fat control. Almost the same volatile compounds were identified in the four cheeses. The adjunct culture containing low-fat cheeses had higher levels of acetaldehyde, 2-butanone, ethanol and acetoin than low-fat control cheese and even higher than the full-fat cheese.