Relationships between Abondance cheese texture, its composition and that of milk produced by cows grazing different types of pastures

Abstract

The relationships between the texture and composition of Abondance cheese (Haute-Savoie, France) and the milk used for its production, were investigated under real conditions of cheese production. Ten different types of pasture, exploited by three producers, were involved. Milk characteristics, linked to the type of pasture, affected cheese texture, as did the cheesemaking process. Cheeses from milk produced on mountain pastures (M, n = 5, 1 500-1 850 m) exhibited different rheological properties from those produced with milk from valley pastures (V, n = 5, 850-1 100 m): they were less elastic and less deformable. Rheological characteristics were mainly linked to the proportion of 18 atoms of carbon unsaturated fatty acids, which was higher in M milks, and to the proteolysis of cheese. Plasmin activity, which was higher in M milks, could enhance primary proteolysis in the corresponding cheeses. Differences in sensory texture, which were greater between M cheeses than between V cheeses, were attributed to variations in moisture and salt content. These differences could be linked to the cheesemaking process and also to the characteristics of milks, such as their pHvalue and acidifying ability. texture / rheology / cheese composition / milk composition / pasture Rsum -Relations entre la texture de fromages d'Abondance, leur composition, et celle des laits produits par des vaches pturant diffrents types de pelouse. Les relations entre la texture du fromage d'Abondance (Haute-Savoie, France), sa composition et celle du lait utilis pour sa fabrication ont t tudies dans des conditions relles de production du fromage.