PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To predict organoleptic properties after a certain period of time has passed on the basis of a measurement result of cheese having a ripening period over a long period of time such as semi-hard cheese and hard cheese.SOLUTION: A prediction method of a taste quality of semi-hard cheese or hard cheese is configured such that each component amount of a plurality of flavor components contained in the semi-hard cheese or the hard cheese after a first period has elapsed from starting a ripening (first ripening month) is measured, and each component amount of the plurality of flavor components is obtained by substituting the first period (first ripening month) for a relational expression of each component amount of the flavor components with a period from a start of ripening of the semi-hard cheese or the hard cheese obtained by a multivariate analysis as a variable. A taste quality of the semi-hard cheese or the hard cheese after a second period has passed (second ripening month) from the start of ripening aged more than the first period is determined by comparing a difference between each measured component amount and each component amount obtained by the relational expression with a predetermined range.COPYRIGHT: (C)2015,JPO&INPIT【課題】セミハード系チーズおよびハード系チーズのように長期間にわたる熟成期間を有するチーズの熟成中の測定結果に基づいて一定期間経過後の官能特性を予測する。【解決手段】熟成開始から第1期間経過後(第1熟月)のセミハード系チーズまたはハード系チーズに含有される複数の香気成分の各成分量を測定し、多変量解析によって求められるセミハード系チーズまたはハード系チーズの熟成開始からの期間を変数とする香気成分の各成分の関係式に第1期間(第1熟月)を代入して、複数の香気成分の各成分量を求める。そして、測定された各成分量と関係式により求められた各成分量との差を所定の範囲と比較することで、第1期間より時間の経過した熟成開始から第2期間経過後(第2熟月)におけるセミハード系チーズまたはハード系チーズの風味品質を判定する、セミハード系チーズまたはハード系チーズの風味品質の予測方法。【選択図】 図1
