Free fatty acids in ""Provola dei Nebrodi", a historical Sicilian cheese

The FFA content of Provola dei Nebrodi during ripening and in different cheesemaking seasons was investigated. Twenty-eight components from C-4 to C-20 were quantified and myristic, palmitic, stearic and oleic acids were the major FFA in all the samples analysed. The level of FFA after 90 days of ripening ranged from 651.52 to 840.45 mg 100 g(-1) of cheese, depending on the cheesemaking season. There were significant differences (P <= 0.05) between the average content of even-carbon number fatty acids during ripening and within the production seasons. The high content of FFA and the significant differences observed are discussed and correlated with the artisanal cheese production technique.