Impact Of A Production Season On The Chemical Composition And Pro-Health Properties Of Milk And Rennet Cheese From Sheep

Owing to their health-promoting values, products obtained from sheep are the center of attention among consumers. The chemical composition of sheep's milk is largely conditioned by seasonal dietary variables, which contribute to its pro-health qualities. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of a production season on parameters of milk and rennet cheese produced from milk obtained from Frisian sheep during winter and summer feeding. Milk from the winter season contained more lactose, less vitamin A and less than half the vitamin E content than milk obtained in summer. Cheese from the winter season was characterized by a higher content of dry matter, proteins and minerals but less than half vitamin A content than cheese from the summer period. In cheese from the winter season, the concentration of tyramine was over fourfold higher while the concentration of histamine, while putrescine, and cadaverine were over twice as low as in cheese of the summer feeding period. The content of total biogenic amines did not vary seasonally. Milk fat from milk obtained in winter contained more medium-chained saturated fatty acids (SFA), but less long-chained SFA and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in comparison with the summer period. Fat from cheese produced in winter had a higher content of medium-chained SFA, whereas cheese from the summer feeding season contained more long-chained SFA, monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), and PUFA. Milk and cheese from the summer feeding period had higher ratios of PUFA to SFA and n-6 to n-3.