Chemical production of essential Cheddar flavour compounds

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Abstract
Summary: Possible mechanisms for the production of volatile sulphur compounds during the ripening of Cheddar cheese have been studied. Slurries of cheese made with and without starter organisms were treated with dithiothreitol (DTT) and the chemical composition of the headspace examined. Cheeses were also pressed from curd treated with DTT and glutathione (GSH). Reactions occurring between methionine, cystine and Na caseinate and reducing agents cysteine, DTT and GSH were also studied. In addition, the reactions of H2S with methionine and Na casein. ate were investigated.Treatment of cheeses with DTT and GSH resulted in the production of H2S and methanethiol (CH3SH) together with the development of Cheddar flavour. Similar treatment of methionine and Na caseinate also yielded H2S and CH3SH whereas Cystine produced only H2S. H2S reacted with both Na caseinate and methionine to yield CH3SH.These results are consistent with the occurrence of some of the chemical reactions studied during the ripening of Cheddar cheese.