Comparison of peroxide value methods used for semihard cheeses.

The objective was to evaluate alternatives to the peroxide value method of choice in the dairy industry, the method issued by the International Dairy Federation. Furthermore, the study evaluated the feasibility of alternative solvents for extracting lipids and subsequent peroxide value determinations. Packaged cheeses were stored under illuminated display at 4 degrees C to obtain samples with various peroxide contents but with uniform gross composition. The hydroperoxide contents were measured during 3 weeks of storage by applying two lipid extraction methods, Folch and Bureau of Dairy Industry (BDI) extractions, and three different hydroperoxide extraction solutions [chloroform/methanol (7:3, v/v), hexane/2-propanol/methanol (5:7:2, v/v/v), and methanol/decanol/hexane (3:2:1, v/v/v)], prior to standard colorimetric measurements. Extraction yields of fat from Havarti cheeses using the Folch and BDI extraction methods were approximately 109 and 61%, respectively, of the yields obtained by the International Dairy Federation gravimetric reference method. Although differences in fat extraction yields were compensated for, significantly higher peroxide values resulted from the Folch extraction method than from the BDI extraction method. The peroxide values obtained by the three methods were all in the same range, and pronounced linear correlations between peroxide contents determined using the three solutions were noted (r (2) in the range of 0.951-0.983). Peroxide value levels were not significantly different in samples stored in the dark or exposed to light.