LIPIDS AND FLAVOR OF DAIRY-PRODUCTS

Lipids hydrolysis leads to a large diversity of volatile compounds in dairy products. Those compounds contribute to the flavour characterist ics of those products. On the one hand, the fat phase is a good solven t of the volatile compounds. She contributes to the flavour compound's retention. On the other hand, fatty acids, which result from lipolysi s, are important in the aroma of dairy products. Not only are fatty ac ids aromatic compounds by themselves, but fatty acids also ore precurs ors of methyl ketones, alcohols, lactones and esters. This paper is a review of current knowledge about the compounds that contributed to th e flavour in dairy produce, especially cheeses and butter. Discussed i s the pathway of formation, the sensory properties, and quantities of the main volatile compounds encountered in those types of dairy produc ts.