Consumer Perceptions and Acceptability of Cheese Produced from the Milk of Suffolk Sheep, a Meat Breed

Abstract

In Japan, Suffolk sheep are bred primarily for meat. Despite being nutritious, suffolk sheep milk products are rarely marketed due to their unique flavor and odor. We examined consumer acceptance for two types of cheese, caillé de brebis and fromage blanc, produced using milk from Suffolk sheep. Sensory evaluations of both cheese varieties and a survey of consumer perceptions of sheep milk cheese were conducted.

"Sensory evaluation indicated high acceptance of specific attributes, particularly the texture of caillé de brebis and the richness of fromage blanc. Both products received low scores for acidity but were rated "average" or higher in overall acceptability. Survey results indicate that sheep-milk cheese is viewed as having "distinctive character" and a "premium image", while also being regarded as "difficult to eat" and "not easily accessible".

These results suggest, based on the study's established criteria of calculating the proportion of scores of 4 or higher, that both cheeses derived from suffolk sheep milk demonstrate palatability.