APPLICATION OF PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS TO CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MAHON CHEESE

The chemical composition of the seven existing types of Mahon cheese, manufactured under the ''Mahon'' cheese Appellation of Origin, were st udied. Of the cheeses, four were industrial (fresh, half-ripened, ripe ned and old-ripened) and three were traditionally manufactured half-ri pened, ripened and old-ripened). The chemical parameters were evaluate d using ANOVA, Tukey's multiple range test and principal component (PC A) analyses. Significant differences were found between Mahon cheeses ripened for different times in terms of moisture and non-protein nitro gen (NPN) contents (p < 0.001); these differences were found to be ind ependent of the manufacturing methodology, i.e. industrial or traditio nal. The ash and fat contents of industrially manufactured cheeses wer e significantly different from those in traditionally manufactured che eses (p < 0.001). PCA reduced chemical variables to two independent co mponents: the first principal component was high in moisture, NPN cont ent and water activity; the second, in NaCl, ash and fat contents. The se results indicate that the seven types of Mahon cheese described by the ''Mahon'' cheese Appellation of Origin can be differentiated by th eir chemical characteristics.