Microbiological and chemical characterization of a typical Italian cheese: Robiola di Roccaverano.

Robiola di Roccaverano is a traditional Italian goat's milk cheese carrying a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). The present work studied both cheese microflora and cheese physicochemical characteristics to obtain a more accurate description of this PDO product. Multivariate statistical analysis (PCA) was performed to evaluate the influence of cheesemaking (artisanal and industrial), ripening time, and season of production on cheese characteristics. Multiplex PCR and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) were used to identify the kind of milk employed by Robiola di Roccaverano producers. The results obtained highlight some product differences between the artisanal and industrial products. These differences were most evident in the microbiological data. The use of PCA allowed cheese samples to cluster on the basis of their age (fresh or ripened), the origin of production (artisanal and industrial), and even the season of production. Gross composition, microbiological parameters, and gas chromatographic analyses of FAMEs provided the most important parameters for Robiola di Roccaverano cheese characterization.