Occurrence of sensory defects in semi-hard ewe's raw milk cheeses

Sensory quality is one of the most important attributes of cheeses, as consumers demand homogeneous and unaltered products. The presence of sensory defects in the final product causes financial losses and consequently has a great economic impact on cheese makers. Therefore, a study was conducted to find out main defects that affect sensory quality: eyes, paste, rind, flavour, texture and shape of commercial semi-hard ewe's raw milk cheeses. The frequency of occurrence of relevant sensory defects in cheeses with different ripening times and those manufactured in different seasons was also investigated. Samples were collected along 5 years during the annual sensory quality control from different cheese makers. Although flavour is a major determinant of consumer acceptance, most common defects were those related to the internal appearance, especially cracks, which were more frequent in summer cheeses, and caverns, which were more frequent in spring and winter cheeses. White paste, soft texture and acid flavour defects were more frequent in cheeses with short-ripening period. Medium- and long-ripened cheeses presented a higher percentage of an excess of rind halo with a darker paste colour, animal flavour and marks in the rind. Due to compositional milk changes throughout cheesemaking seasons, cheese makers should adapt their manufacturing practises to those changes and try to achieve uniform cheeses. The results found in this study may be useful for the quality improvement of semi-hard ewe's raw milk cheeses.