| Milk is an important food commodity and a very versatile food product that is often further processed into a variety of different dairy products. The dairy industry has long recognized the importance of using sensory analysis in order to provide consumers with consistent high quality dairy products. By using descriptive sensory analysis in conjunction with instrumental analysis, it is possible to identify compounds responsible for sensory perception of key flavors, anchor and define new sensory terms, study flavor formation throughout processing, and identify sources of off-flavors. This approach provides a framework for understanding and controlling flavor development.; The main objective of this research was to characterize the flavor of Cheddar cheese, Chevre-style goat cheese, skim and whole milk powders during storage, and dried whey proteins by integrating the use of descriptive sensory analysis and instrumental volatile analysis. Four different flavor lexicons were utilized/developed in order to characterize flavors in these products. Some flavors, such as cooked/milky were present in all dairy products, while other flavors were identified only in certain products. There were ninety-three aroma active compounds identified in these products, with nineteen being found in all products. The main flavor reactions in these dairy products were proteolysis, lipolysis, and glycolysis.; The secondary objective of this research was to advance our understanding of flavor formation in dairy products using instrumental and sensory techniques when processing parameters (such as starter culture and fat content) and/or storage conditions are modified. It was found that the storage of milk powders increases both off-flavors and the amount of aroma active compounds. It was also determined that manipulating the starter culture of Cheddar cheeses can influence and direct flavor formation. Finally, in the large-scale production of Cheddar cheese, there are differences in the flavor and texture of different portions (inner vs. outer block) of 291 kg blocks. This research has successfully and systematically looked at many aspects of dairy flavor and has greatly increased the overall understanding of dairy flavor. |
