Relationship between Sensory Attributes, (Dis) Liking and Volatile Organic Composition of Gorgonzola PDO Cheese

Abstract

Blue-veined cheese tends to polarize the consumers’ affective responses due to its strong flavor. This study aims to: (i) explore the consumers’ sensory perceptions and liking of Gorgonzola PDO cheese; (ii) identify the sensory drivers of acceptance for Gorgonzola in the function of the cheese style; (iii) characterize them by the volatile organic compounds (VOCs); and (iv) explore the relationships of the VOCs with sensory perception and liking. Six samples of Gorgonzola cheese differing in style (sweet vs. piquant), aging time (70–95 days), and production process (artisanal vs. industrial) were evaluated by 358 subjects (46% males, 18–77 years) using liking and Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) tests. The cheese VOCs were measured by SPME/GC-MS. Liking was significantly higher for the sweet cheese than for the piquant cheese and for the artisanal cheese than for the industrial samples. Penalty Analysis showed that ‘creamy’, ‘sweet’, ‘nutty’, and ‘salty’ were significant drivers of liking while the ‘soapy’ and ‘ammonia’ flavors turned out to be drivers of disliking. Fifty-three VOCs were identified. Regression models revealed the significant highest associations between the VOCs and ‘ammonia’, ‘pungent’, ‘soapy’, and ‘moldy’ flavors. A good association was also found with the consumers’ liking. The identification of the sensory drivers of (dis) liking and their relationship with the VOCs of Gorgonzola opens up a new understanding of the consumers’ blue-veined cheese preferences.

Development of “Quadrello di Ovino”, a Novel Fresh Ewe’s Cheese

“…VOCs emitted from food products are decisive for the perception of aroma and taste [ 62 ]. Recently, the relationship between VOCs and sensory attributes has been successfully evaluated for Gorgonzola cheese [ 63 ].…”

Genetic variations associated with the soapy flavor perception in Gorgonzola PDO cheese

“…The term 'soapy' was also used in a previous study (Moio, Piombino, & Addeo, 2000) to describe the Italian blue-veined Gorgonzola Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheese odor. However, only very recently it was demonstrated that a great phenotypic variability in Gorgonzola cheese liking exists and that differences in preferences for Gorgonzola cheese were mainly linked to the perception of 'soapy' flavor (Torri et al, 2021).…”

“…Six samples of Gorgonzola PDO cheese varying according to style (Sweet vs Piquant), aging time (70-95 days) and production process (Artisanal vs Industrial) were analyzed. The same samples were used in a previously published paper on Gorgonzola Cheese (Torri et al, 2021). Samples are identified with a letter indicating the cheese style followed by a number referring to the aging time expressed in days.…”

“…Data presented here are part of a broader study on Gorgonzola cheese involving 358 subjects (Torri et al, 2021). In the present work, genetic analysis was performed on a subset of 219 subjects (43% males; age range: 18-77 years, average age: 43.4, standard deviation: 15.1; nationality: 71.7% Italian, 15.1 European different from Italian, 13.2% extra-European (all of the Caucasian ancestries)).…”

“…Finally, participants answered a short questionnaire on socio-demographic data (age, gender, nationality). More information on sensory evaluations are described in a previous paper (Torri et al, 2021).…”