Traditional ranchero Jarocho cheese: a multidisciplinary study from a typicity approach

Resumen

The objective was to integrate the information of the local milk production system, physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of the milk; elaboration process, and physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of cheese to establish its typicity. The manufacturing of the cheese in most of the dairies studied has registered the operation of three generations of families. Variability in their chemical composition, microbiological, colour, texture and sensory was related with time and number of turns during the pressing, amount of added salt and vegetal fat. Cheeses with less pressing time had higher moisture content and less protein and fat content. The bacterial counts were related to milk quality tests, training courses and material of containers. These factors also affected the hardness of the cheese. Those with added vegetable fat and with high salt content had the highest hardness. The Hue angle (h°) of the cheeses indicated a tonality close to yellow (90°). Difference in chromaticity (C*) can be related to the use of vegetable fat. Cheeses with higher moisture content were brighter (L*) and had less color saturation. The sensory evaluation showed that the most typical cheeses were perceived in the attributes as salty, milk aroma, and serum and milking smell. Applying sanitation measures of milk collection, good cheese manufacturing practices and avoiding the addition of vegetable fat, it could be possibly getting a legal-commercial protection of the ranchero Jarocho cheese.