Effect of farming system and cheese making technology on quality traits and fatty acid profile of Caciocavallo Palermitano cheese at different ripening time

The Caciocavallo Palermitano is a typical stretched curd cheese made from cow milk, mainly in the Western Sicily. The aim of this investigation was to verify the influence of farming system and cheese making process (traditional with wood tools and natural endemic flora vs. innovative with modern stainless steel tools and selected lactic bacteria) on qualitative characteristics, including fatty acid (FA) profile, of Caciocavallo Palermitano at different ripening time. Cheeses were obtained from bulk milk from two farms: one extensive rearing a local breed fed at pasture and one intensive rearing a specialized dairy breed fed mainly hay and concentrate. Milk and cheese properties and FA profile were greatly affected by farming system: feeding cows exclusively at pasture seemed to promote a more health cheese FA profile. Also the cheese making process significantly influenced the quality of cheese; indeed, traditional technology led to a production of cheese higher in fat and with a more cohesive and yellow paste. The results of this study highlight an influence of both farming system and cheese making technology on the quality characteristics and FA profile of Caciocavallo Palermitano cheese.