Characteristics of Nodooshan Goat Milk and Identification of Volatile Compounds in Traditional Nodooshan Goat Cheese during Ripening

Background and Objectives: Essential and minor components of the goat milk are unique ingredients in production of various food products. In this study, characteristics of Nodooshan goat milk were investigated and volatile compounds were identified in traditional Nodooshan goat cheese during ripening.  Materials & Methods: Physicochemical tests were carried out on raw milk, fresh cheese and ripened cheese in brine. Moreover, lipolysis and analysis of the fatty acid composition and volatile compounds of the various cheese samples were carried out using GC-MS. Results: Results of the physicochemical tests on fresh raw milk, fresh cheese and ripened cheeses in brine (1 and 2 months) showed that sample appearance, color, smell and taste were according to National Iranian Standards ripened cheese samples were rich in fat, protein, moisture and salt. Analysis of the fatty acid composition demonstrated that the predominant saturated fatty acid content in all samples was palmitic acid (C16:0) and the dominant unsaturated fatty acid in all samples was oleic acid (C18:1). Furthermore, the major volatile components in fresh and ripened cheeses in brine were detected using GC/MS. Conclusion: Based on results from this study, fatty acid profile of the cheese changes during the ripening. Moreover, variety of the volatile compounds in ripening increases but the number of these compounds decreases.