Characterisation of cow and sheep cheeses in a regional scale by stable isotope ratios of casein (13C/12C and 15N/14N) and glycerol (18O/16O)

The stable isotope ratios ( 13 C/ 12 C and 15 N/ 14 N) of casein from cow cheeses coming from Abruzzo and Friuli region and from sheep cheeses from Abruzzo and furthermore the stable isotope ratio of 18 O/ 16 O of glycerol present in the fatty fraction, measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), were found to be accurate parameters of place of origin, independently of seasoning time. Multivariate data treatments, by applying supervised (Linear Discriminant Analysis) method, revealed good discrimination possibilities for determining the place of origin of the cheese, with a percentage of correctly assigned cases equal to 100%.