Free fatty acids and other volatile compounds for the characterization of “Vastedda della valle del Belice” cheese

The analysis of the volatile constituents of “Vastedda della valle del Belìce”, a typical Sicilian pasta filata cheese, was performed using solid phase microextraction and high-resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The research aimed to verify if the volatile fraction, determinant for cheese flavor, differs among producers and/or production seasons. The samples were provided by four producers from the area of the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) production, during two different seasons of production. A total of 42 volatile components were identified: the main components were found to be butanoic, hexanoic, octanoic, and decanoic acid. Free fatty acids were quantified using the standard addition method, their concentrations were in the range 1273.7–1918.0 mg/kg. The analysis of variance and a multivariate approach showed that producer and season factors significantly influenced the content of almost all the identified volatile components; the artisanal cheese-making, the utilization of raw milk, and the environmental differences that characterized the various farmers are strong causes of cheeses variability.