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. 2021 May 21;11(6):333.
doi: 10.3390/metabo11060333.

Rapid Discrimination and Authentication of Korean Farmstead Mozzarella Cheese through MALDI-TOF and Multivariate Statistical Analysis

Sujatha Kandasamy  1 , Jayeon Yoo  1 , Jeonghee Yun  1 , Han-Byul Kang  1 , Kuk-Hwan Seol  1 , Jun-Sang Ham  1
Affiliations

Rapid Discrimination and Authentication of Korean Farmstead Mozzarella Cheese through MALDI-TOF and Multivariate Statistical Analysis

Sujatha Kandasamy et al. Metabolites. .

Abstract

Geographical origin and authenticity are the two crucial factors that propel overall cheese perception in terms of quality and price; therefore, they are of great importance to consumers and commercial cheese producers. Herein, we demonstrate a rapid, accurate method for discrimination of domestic and import mozzarella cheeses in the Republic of Korea by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The protein profiles' data aided by multivariate statistical analysis successfully differentiated farmstead and import mozzarella cheeses according to their geographical location of origin. A similar investigation within domestic samples (farmsteads/companies) also showed clear discrimination regarding the producer. Using the biomarker discovery tool, we identified seven distinct proteins, of which two (m/z 7407.8 and 11,416.6) were specific in farmstead cheeses, acting as potential markers to ensure authentication and traceability. The outcome of this study can be a good resource in building a database for Korean domestic cheeses. This study also emphasizes the combined utility of MALDI-TOF MS and multivariate analysis in preventing fraudulent practices, thereby ensuring market protection for Korean farmstead cheeses.

Keywords: cheese authentication; domestic cheeses; geographical origin; mass spectrometry; protein fingerprints.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Representative MALDI-TOF mass spectra in the range from 1100 to 18,000 m/z for mozzarella cheeses from Korean farmstead (a), Korean company (b), and imports (c) in the Republic of Korea. MH+ signals corresponding to specific peaks identified in this study are marked with an asterisk.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Score (a), loading (b), and VIP (c) plots from the PLS-DA and HCA (d) analyses for the mass spectra of mozzarella cheeses from domestic farmsteads and imports commercially available in the Republic of Korea.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Score (a), loading (b), and VIP (c) plots from the PLS-DA and HCA (d) analyses for the mass spectra of mozzarella cheeses from domestic companies and farmsteads commercially available in the Republic of Korea.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Score (a), loading (b), and VIP (c) plots from the PLS-DA and HCA (d) analyses for the mass spectra of mozzarella cheeses from domestic companies and imports commercially available in the Republic of Korea.
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