Buffalo milk mozzarella is often adulterated by the addition of cow's milk. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of buffalo milk mozzarella by using electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to detect the addition of cow's milk. Reference cheeses were produced exclusively from combinations of buffalo and cow milk, and labeled reference treatment buffalo or cow (RTB and RTC, respectively). Standardized cheeses were made by combining buffalo milk and 2.5%, 5.0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% or 50% cow's milk. A total of 9 cheese formulations were produced and either frozen immediately (time 0) or after 20 days (time 20). Eighteen commercial samples of buffalo mozzarella were sampled between 0-20 days of production. The chemical composition (moisture, ash, fat in dry matter, protein, total solids and defatted dry extract) and physicochemical characteristics (acidity) of the cheeses were evaluated. Proteins and water-soluble peptides (WSP) extracted from RTB, RTC and from the commercial samples, and were analyzed by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. It was not possible to detect the inclusion of cow's milk by the cheeses' chemical and physicochemical properties. However, the separation and detection of peptide and protein fractions of the cheese was possible by electrophoresis. The results of the electrophoretic analysis suggest that 28% of the commercial samples considered here had evidence of the addition of cow's milk. The methodology described here is important to identify occurrences of fraud in buffalo mozzarella production. Key words: Adulteration. Peptides. Proteins. Cheese. SDS-PAGE.
ResumoObjetivou-se com o presente estudo detectar fraudes por adição de leite de vaca em muçarela de búfala. Foram produzidos queijos exclusivamente com leite de búfala (TRB) e vaca (TRV) e com inclusões crescentes de leite bovino ao bubalino (2,5%, 5,0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% e 50%), totalizando 9 formulações que foram congeladas no dia de fabricação (Tempo 0) e com 20 dias após a data de fabricação (Tempo 20). Foram coletadas 18 amostras comerciais de muçarela de búfala com até 20 dias de fabricação sendo congeladas no Tempo 20. Os queijos foram avaliados em relação à composição química (umidade, cinzas, gordura no extrato seco, proteínas, extrato seco total e extrato seco desengordurado) e característica físico-química (acidez titulável). Proteínas dos queijos muçarela produzidos e amostras comerciais e peptídeos solúveis em água (PSA) extraídos de TRB, TRV e amostras comerciais foram analisados por eletroforese sob condições desnaturantes por meio de dodecil sulfato de sódio (SDS-