Classification and Typification of Costeño Cheese in the Colombian Caribbean Through Multivariate Analysis of Physico-chemical Parameters: Base Study for the department of Magdalena

Abstract

The analysis of the physicochemical parameters of Costeño cheese in the Magdalena department of the Caribbean region of Colombia presents unique challenges due to the presence of variability in these characteristics, influenced by climate, production technique, livestock type, and feed, among others, which in turn impact the sensory aspects of this type of dairy product. This study employs advanced statistical techniques that allow for a better understanding and classification of cheeses based on their properties, such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Cluster Analysis (CA) or hierarchical clustering, and K-Means clustering, facilitating dimensionality reduction, pattern identification, and data grouping. In addition, multivariate statistical analysis, PCA and CA, were used to determine the behavior of the study variables and characterize Costeño cheese from a group analysis. As a result, it was confirmed that multivariate statistical analysis can be used to improve the understanding of the quality of a product such as fresh cheese.