Sensory Character of Cheese and its Evaluation

Abstract A remarkable variety of cheeses are made in all parts of the world where milk is produced. Cheeses are consumed for their highly regarded nutritional value, and enjoyed for their complex and varied eating quality. The sensory characteristics of cheeses, which determine their eating quality, are properties that are perceived by the human senses predominantly during consumption. These properties can be described as appearance characteristics, flavor characteristics, and texture characteristics. However, cheeses are complex foods, produced using milk from different animals, by many different techniques, and are presented in a variety of sizes, shapes, packages, or coatings. Some cheeses are produced in small quantities, such as farmhouse types, are sold in local markets, and are consumed by a relatively small number of people. Others are produced in large quantity in very large automated facilities, may find their way to markets in many different countries, and are consumed by very many people. Some cheeses are ripened or matured for years before they are consumed; others are consumed young or unripened. Cheeses may have molds of different types growing on their surface, may be pierced to allow blue molds to grow within the cheese, or include ingredients such as herbs and/or spices. This considerable diversity in cheesemaking practice, and the number of stages that any single cheese undergoes during its production, results in a wide variety of cheeses each of which has complex sensory characteristics. Sensory evaluation of cheese is absolutely necessary to determine the relative merits of cheesemaking procedures and the influence of composition on specific sensory characteristics of cheese. Sensory evaluation is also needed to determine the influence of sensory characteristics on the eating quality of cheese and its consumer acceptability. However, the complexity of cheese presents a considerable challenge for its sensory evaluation. This chapter will focus on human perception of sensory characteristics, on the advantages and disadvantages of sensory evaluation methods, on the intensity and quality of the sensory characteristics of cheeses, and on the relationships between cheesemaking, cheese composition, cheese sensory characteristics, and consumer acceptability of cheese.