Chemometric evaluation of the metabolites and volatile profiles of mite-ripened cheeses

Abstract Cheese ripening in the presence of mites is a common practice in some European countries. In Brazil, this practice is incipient and it is still unknown whether the mite diversity and mite-mediated processes in the production of Brazilian cheeses are important for product differentiation. Here, we conducted chemometric evaluations of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and metabolites in two types of Brazilian cheeses (Minas and Colonial) ripened in the presence and absence of mites, using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The presence of mites during cheese ripening influenced the development of fruity VOCs on the surface (rind) of both the cheeses. However, a few influences of mite were observed in the core of cheeses. The mite presence induced the production of metabolites and VOCs that conferred sensory identity to the cheeses.