Influence of Ripening on Chemical Characteristics of a Traditional Italian Cheese: Provolone del Monaco

Nadia Manzo, Antonello Santini, Fabiana Pizzolongo, Alessandra Aiello, Andrea Marrazzo, Giuseppe Meca, Alessandra Durazzo, Massimo Lucarini and Raffaele Romano
Additional contact information
Nadia Manzo: Department of Agriculture, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100-80055 Portici (Napoli), Italy
Antonello Santini: Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Via D. Montesano, 49-80131 Napoli, Italy
Fabiana Pizzolongo: Department of Agriculture, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100-80055 Portici (Napoli), Italy
Alessandra Aiello: Department of Agriculture, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100-80055 Portici (Napoli), Italy
Andrea Marrazzo: Department of Agriculture, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100-80055 Portici (Napoli), Italy
Giuseppe Meca: Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
Alessandra Durazzo: CREA—Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Roma, Italy
Massimo Lucarini: CREA—Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Roma, Italy
Raffaele Romano: Department of Agriculture, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100-80055 Portici (Napoli), Italy

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: The envisaged promotion of local products contributes to environmental protection and is a valid tool for the promotion of socioeconomic development, enhancement of territories, and biodiversity preservation and sustainability. Provolone del Monaco is a semi hard pasta filata cheese granted PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) designation by the European Union. Provolone del Monaco is obtained from raw cow’s milk, produced in the specific areas of the Lattari Mountains and Sorrento Peninsula (Naples, Italy), and ripened for at least six months. To the best of our knowledge, no studies concerning the complete chemical characterization of Provolone del Monaco cheese are available. In the present study; the chemical characterization (moisture; pH; titratable acidity; nitrogen; and fat content), fatty acid composition determined by using gas-chromatography-flame-ionization-detector (GC-FID); volatile organic compounds by solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS), and maturation indices were evaluated during ripening. Two different average typical cheese sizes (3 kg and 5 kg) and two different internal portions were studied. After 6 months of ripening, the most important changes recorded were the loss of water, the increase in acidity, the nitrogen (as ammonia) release, and the production of volatile organic compounds. The cheese size did not affect the chemical composition of Provolone del Monaco.

Keywords: Provolone del Monaco; traditional foods; biodiversity; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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