Chemical, nutritional and microbiological characterization of organic Fontina PDO cheese

Chemical, microbiological and nutritional characteristics of organic Fontina, an Italian Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) raw cow's milk cheese, and of bulk milk used for its production, were studied. Organic winter-indoor and summer-pasture productions were compared; organic summer samples were compared to conventional summer ones. The organic and conventional summer samples from fresh grass-fed cows showed better lipidic compositions than the winter ones. The hypercholesterolemic saturated fatty acids content was lower while the unsaturated fatty acids and rumenic acid contents were higher. No significant chemical and microbiological differences were observed between the organic and conventional summer milk and the cheese samples.