COMPARATIVE VOLATILE RELEASE FROM TRADITIONAL AND REDUCED-FAT CHEDDARCHEESES UPON MASTICATION IN THE MOUTH

Consumer perceptions of cheese flavour are determined by the compositi on and release behaviour of the volatile and non-volatile components d uring mastication in the mouth. Both are affected by the fat content. A new ''buccal headspace'' methodology was developed by which the vola tile components of cheese are displaced during mastication and trapped for analysis. Compositional data obtained by ''buccal headspace'' ana lysis were compared with data collected by conventional headspace anal ysis. Profiles of six full- and six reduced-fat Cheddars were compared . Product dependent differences were found between conventional and '' buccal headspace'' analyses. This methodology can be applied to any fo od.