Influence of salt content on the triglyceride composition of Idiazabal cheese during ripening

The influence of salt content on the triglyceride (TG) composition of Idiaz abal cheese during ripening has been studied. Cheeses were brined for 12, 2 4 and 36 h, with a higher salt content (g.kg(-1) of cheese) and lower moist ure percentage recorded in the longer-brined cheeses. The lower saturated, unsaturated, short-, medium- and long-chain TG contents recorded for the lo w-salted cheeses (brined for 12 h) and their progressive decrease during ri pening were attributable mainly to differences in the rate of moisture loss in the cheeses. The differences in the composition of the TG profile of th e low-, medium- and high-salted cheeses that were observed could be due to differences in the levels of lipolytic activity in the cheeses, with the hi gher salt concentrations (similar to 3-4%) contributing to higher levels of lipolysis. (C) Inra/Elsevier, Paris.