Le système de pâturage influence-t-il les caractéristiques nutritionnelles et sensorielles des fromages ?

Promoting traditional local produce, such as AOP-certified dairy products, implies publicizing the fact that the specific characteristics of the finished product are tied to the soil and tradition of its region of production. Where dairy products are concerned, grass is a determining factor, and it is important to characterize the way in which it is used by animals and its impact on the nutritional and sensory properties of finished products. This study compared the properties of different Cantal-type cheeses whose production is based on two distinct pasture systems: continuous pasture with a low stocking rate on botanically-rich grassland and rotational pasture with a higher stocking rate on former temporary grassland. Continuous pasture produced milk that was rich in fatty acids with a high nutritional value, especially in the spring, and soft yellow cheese. The texture, appearance, flavour and taste of the different cheeses was very similar for both systems, although the flavour of the continuous pasture cheeses did have a more intense flavour when left to ripen for a longer period of time.