Nutritional composition of four commercial cheeses made with buffalo milk

This paper compares the nutritional and nutraceutical characteristics of four commercial cheeses made from the same buffalo milk using different production processes. Four subsequent cheese-making were made over a period of one month by a cheese company in Italy. For each cheese-making from the same bulk buffalo milk four different cheeses were made: Mozzarella, Caciotta, Capriccio, and Blu del Granduca. All the samples were analyzed in terms of the chemical composition and fatty acid profile. The manufacturing process affected the nutritional and health characteristics of the cheeses. The cheese-making process led to a lower retention of calcium in the mozzarella, and a higher nitrogen content on dry matter. In addition, the cheese-making process and the ripening influenced the fatty acid profiles, and modified various atherogenic (C12:0 and C14:0), and beneficial FAs (C18:3n3, cis-9,trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid, C20:5 and C20:6). Despite the higher fat on a wet basis, the ripened cheeses and especially the Blu cheese, showed a healthier fatty acid profile than the mozzarella.