Study of free fatty acid profiles in Brie type cheese

In this research, the analysis of the degree of lipolysis and the modeling of the global acceptability of the consumer was 
carried out based on the fat content of the milk and the maturation time of the Brie type cheese. The research is quantita
tive, with an experimental design, in which Binomial Logistic Regression was used to model global consumer acceptability 
and Variance Analysis to study the Free Fatty Acid Profiles (FFA) in cheeses. Brie type made with different fat contents 
(3.1%, 4.0%, and 4.5%) and maturation times (8, 16 and 25 days). These cheeses were subjected to a sensory analysis with 
35 semi-trained panelists to determine overall acceptability and an analysis of the degree of lipolysis by determining the 
FFA content by gas chromatography using a silica capillary column, after extraction with ether/heptane (1:1) and separa
tion in CP SIL 8 column. The results of the research showed that these cheeses are characterized by presenting low contents 
of short and medium chain FFA from C4:0 to C12:0 (less than 320 mg/Kg cheese), highlighting the high contents of C4:0 
(up to 178.04 mg/Kg of cheese), and a high content of long-chain FFA from C14:0 to C18:1 (greater than 1900 mg/Kg 
cheese), highlighting C18:1 for its high content (greater than 3000 mg/Kg cheese).  Long-chain FFA showed an increasing 
trend until 16 days and then experienced a decrease at the end of ripening. When the content of these fatty acids is very low 
(less than 750 mg/kg cheese) as a result of advanced lipolysis, the cheeses were unpleasant, contrasting with the more wide
ly accepted cheeses that showed high contents of long chain FFA. This could be achieved at the plant level, making cheeses 
with low levels of milk fat and long maturation times, under controlled conditions, or high fat contents but with a short mat
uration time.