DIFFERENTIATION AND GROUPING OF CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MAHON CHEESE

Cluster analysis of cases (CAC) and variables (CAV) and stepwise discr iminant analysis (SDA) were applied to estimate the usefulness of vari ous chemical determinations for the characterization and differentiati on of the seven types of Mahon cheese, four industrially manufactured (fresh, half-ripened. ripened and old-ripened cheeses) and three tradi tionally manufactured (half-ripened, ripened and old-ripened cheeses). CAV showed that, on the one hand, moisture, non-proteic nitrogen (NPN ) and water activity measurements, and on the other ash, NaCl and fat measurements are very similar variables. Using SDA, it was possible to differentiate between industrially and traditionally manufactured che eses by measuring NaCl and far contents, and also between the four sta ges of ripening suggested by the ''Mahon'' cheese Appellation of Origi n according to the moisture and NPN variables, Using classification fu nctions obtained by SDA, 94.1% of cheese samples were correctly classi fied into traditional or industrial groups, and 89.7% of samples into fresh, half-ripened, ripened and old-ripened groups (jackknife validat ion).