Cheddar Cheese Fluoridation and Dental Health

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to determine what effect the addition
of sodium fluoride would have on the Cheddar cheese quality. Raw milk was
pasteurized and separated for three treatments as follows: control, supplemented
with 4 ppm and 40 ppm fluoride. Cheddar cheese was processed for each
treatment and ripened for 120 days at 7oC and sampled at 60 and 120 days.
Analyses performed included both sensory evaluation and gas chromatography
with headspace sampling (GCHS). Under conditions of this study significant
P< 0.05 higher mean flavor and body/texture scores were observed in both the
control cheese samples and those with 4 ppm added fluoride than those with 40
ppm added fluorides.
The predominant flavor criticisms in Cheddar cheese treated with 40 ppm added
fluoride after 120 days were flat, lacks flavor and bitter. The predominant
body/texture criticisms noted in Cheddar cheese treated with 40 ppm added
fluoride after 120 days were open, mealy, corky, crumbly, pasty and curdy.
GCHS results showed that Acetone, 2- butanone, ethanol, 2-pentanone and
propanol increased significantly (P< 0.05) with aging of the Cheddar cheese.
However after 60 days of ripening, the control cheese had significantly (P<
0.05) lower Acetone, 2-pentanone and higher ethanol values than the fluoridated
cheese. By 120 days, the control cheese had significantly (P< 0.05) higher 2-
butanone values than both treated cheese and higher ethanol than the cheese
fluoridated at 40 ppm.