Study of the Effect of NaCl on Lipolysis in Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

Lipolysis of PDO Parmigiano Reggiano cheese from different dairies was studied to evaluate the effect of sodium chloride (NaCl) reduction on the lipidic fraction. The total and individual free fatty acid and diglyceride contents were determined for two groups of samples, normal NaCl content (1.50% p/p) and reduced NaCl content (1.37% p/p). In addition, fat, water, NaCl, and cholesterol contents were also determined. The NaCl content was 9.01% higher in the normal NaCl group than in the reduced NaCl group. The most abundant fatty acid was palmitic acid, followed by oleic, myristic, and stearic acid, which altogether accounted for approximately 75% of the total content. Cheese with a normal NaCl content presented concentrations of C8:0 and C18:0 higher than those of reduced NaCl samples, while the latter showed a higher proportion of C10:0, C14:1c, and C16:0. The total free fatty acid and diglyceride contents were higher in the reduced NaCl samples, so a 9.01% reduction in the concentration of this component could accelerate the lipolysis process. On the contrary, the free fatty acid composition profile was similar in both groups.