Determination of volatile fraction in raw milk and rpened cheese by means of GC-MS. Results of a survey performed in the marginal area between Italy and Slovenia

The volatile fractions of milk and their evolution in ripened cheese were studied using purge and trap extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS). Eighteen samples of raw milk and cheese ripened for 70 days were collected in 2 consecutive years from dairy farms located in the border area between Italy and Slovenia. Twenty one volatile compounds not detected in the fresh milk used for cheese manufacturing, belonging mainly to the class of esters and alcohols, were found, while 8 compounds detected in milk were not found in cheese after 70 days of ripening. In cheese the majority of compounds increased significantly, even though the variations differed between the classes of volatile compounds.