Abstract

The Pecorino Romano P.D.O. is the main sheep cheese produced in Italy and the first one among the sheep cheeses, in terms of quality and value, exported from the European Union. About half of the sheep milk produced in Italy is processed into this type of cheese by 36 dairies belonging to the Pecorino Romano Consortium. Eight million records of biweekly analyses of milk collected within a 5-year period from farms delivering their milk to the aforementioned consortium were analysed in this work. Monthly evolution curves were plotted for fat, protein, lactose, pH, NaCl, SCC, bacterial load and principal fatty acids (FAs). Due to the seasonal production systems of Sardinian sheep, monthly evolution of milk fat and protein contents and cheese yield are directly linked to the lactation curve pattern and the pastures quantity and quality. Also, the FA profile of milk is affected by grass availability and quality in both early and mid-lactation, whereas it is influenced by the energy balance of ewes in late lactation. Cheese yield equation was computed based on fat and protein contents and considering the variability among dairies in technological processes used in transforming Sarda sheep milk to Pecorino Romano P.D.O. These data could be a relevant basis to set-up future grids of milk payments based on quality standards. Moreover, they could be useful to formulate administrative policies on the dairy sector with the prospective to improve milk quality of Sardinian sheep destined to the Pecorino Romano production.

• Highlights

• The yield of Pecorino Romano P.D.O. (PR) is linked to fat and protein content of milk and it depends on the industrial processes adopted by each dairy

• Monthly variation of milk composition is of high interest for the PR producers to program the output of their milk-processing plans

• The content and monthly evolutions of principal fatty acids are important to determine the nutritional and technological properties of PR

摘要

Pecorino Romano PDO是意大利生产的主要绵羊奶酪，也是从欧盟出口的绵羊奶酪（就质量和价值而言）中的第一个。意大利Pecorino Romano联盟的36家奶牛场将意大利生产的一半左右的羊奶加工成这种奶酪。在这项工作中，对在5年内从将牛奶运送到上述财团的农场收集的每两周一次的牛奶分析进行了八百万次记录分析。绘制了脂肪，蛋白质，乳糖，pH，NaCl，SCC，细菌载量和主要脂肪酸（FAs）的每月演变曲线。由于撒丁岛绵羊的季节性生产系统，牛奶脂肪和蛋白质含量以及奶酪产量的每月演变直接与泌乳曲线模式以及牧场的数量和质量相关。也，牛奶的FA分布受泌乳初期和中期的草料供应和质量的影响，而受哺乳后期母羊能量平衡的影响。基于脂肪和蛋白质含量并考虑到乳牛场在将Sarda羊奶转化为Pecorino Romano PDO所使用的工艺过程中的变异性，计算出奶酪产量方程。这些数据可能为建立基于质量标准的未来牛奶支付网格提供相关依据。此外，它们对于制定乳制品部门的行政政策可能很有用，以期改善预定用于罗马生产的撒丁岛绵羊的牛奶质量。基于脂肪和蛋白质含量并考虑到乳牛场在将Sarda羊奶转化为Pecorino Romano PDO所使用的工艺过程中的变异性，计算出奶酪产量方程。这些数据可能为建立基于质量标准的未来牛奶支付网格提供相关依据。此外，它们对于制定乳制品部门的行政政策可能很有用，以期改善预定用于罗马生产的撒丁岛绵羊的牛奶质量。根据油脂含量和蛋白质含量，并考虑到乳牛场在将Sarda羊奶转化为Pecorino Romano PDO所使用的工艺过程中的可变性，计算出奶酪产量方程。这些数据可能为建立基于质量标准的未来牛奶付款网格提供相关依据。此外，它们对于制定乳制品部门的行政政策可能很有用，以期改善预定用于罗马生产的撒丁岛绵羊的牛奶质量。

• 强调

• Pecorino Romano PDO（PR）的产量与牛奶中的脂肪和蛋白质含量有关，并且取决于每个乳制品厂采用的工业流程

• 牛奶成分的每月变化对于公关生产者计划其牛奶加工计划的产出很重要

• 主要脂肪酸的含量和每月演变对确定PR的营养和技术特性很重要