Characterisation of Cooked Cheese Flavour: Non-Volatile Components

This work examined the role of selected non-volatile compounds in cooked cheese flavour, both as tastants and as precursors of aroma generation in the Maillard reaction. The effect of cooking on the concentration of selected non-volatile compounds (organic acids, sugars, amino acids, γ-glutamyl dipeptides, and diketopiperazines) in six cheeses (mature Cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan, and mild Cheddar (low, medium, and high fat)) was determined. Sugars, amino acids, and γ-glutamyl dipeptides were extracted and analysed by LC, whereas diketopiperazines were extracted by solid-phase extraction and analysed by GC-MS. Sugars, amino acids, and γ-glutamyl dipeptides decreased in concentration during cooking, whereas diketopiperazines and some organic acids increased in concentration. Diketopiperazines were above the taste threshold in some cooked cheeses and below the threshold in uncooked cheeses. The role of fat content in cooked cheese flavour is discussed. Furthermore, γ-glutamyl dipeptide concentration increased during 24 months of ageing in low, medium, and high-fat Cheddars, with similar levels of γ-glutamyl dipeptide detected in aged low and high-fat Cheddars. This work will give valuable insight for the dairy industry to inform the development of cheeses, especially low-fat variants, for use in cooked foods.