Quality Evaluation of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese by a Novel Nanowire Device S3 and Evaluation of the VOCs Profile

A novel nanowire-based sensor device is presented for the quality evaluation of the Italian Parmigiano Reggiano (PR) cheese. As a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) trademark product, the cheese should follow stringent manufacturing guidelines and must exhibit the representative aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) biomarkers and sensory profile. Any alteration in these features indicates an adulteration of the product as many low quality and substandard PR cheeses are widely available in the market. Different types of grated cheese samples were analyzed and the VOCs were characterized by evaluating the samples with the portable sensor device S3 and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry technique. The ability of S3 device to distinguish the cheese quality demonstrates its suitability for monitoring the quality control and authenticity of PR cheese. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.