## 2 Materials and Methods
### Sensory Analyses
#### 2.3.1 Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA)  
To perform QDA, fifteen regular eaters of buffalo mozzarella cheese (i.e., consuming it at least once a week) were enrolled. Among them, ten panellists (5 males and 5 females between 24 and 32 years of age) were chosen according to their capacity to identify the 4 basic tastes [PERSON] et al. (2016), as recommended by ISO recommendations (ISO 8586, (30)). A labelled scale with intervals of intensity was used to train panellists on the use of the 100 mmunstructured intensity linear scale (0 = absent; 100 = very high) provided for QDA [31]. In a subsequent session, the assessors tasted the mozzarella cheese samples and, based on specific works in the literature [11; 32], they developed and agreed on a vocabulary of attributes (about appearance, odour, taste, flavour, and texture) and their definitions (Table 2). Their subsequent training was performed in individual sensory booths (ISO 8589) [33] by using a specific frame of reference [34] to identify the intensity ranges for low and high intensity for each attribute. Then, panellists tasted the samples again with the two preferences of intensity for each attribute in blind conditions. This training phase was essential to calibrate the performance of the panellists in terms of repeatability, discrimination, and agreement. For the test, two 50 g mozzarella cheese samples for C and S were administered in a randomised order at a temperature of 13 \({}^{\circ}\)C. Each sample was identified by a three-digit number code. To avoid the effect of appearance on the perception of odour/flavour, taste, and texture attributes, the assessors evaluated the intensities of these attributes of the first cheese under red light, while the intensities of the appearance parameters were assessed on the second cheese under white, fluorescent lighting. Each product was evaluated in 3 replications. The interval between consecutive samples was roughly 10 min for each product; assessors were recommended to drink a SIP of water and to eat a piece of smith apple between two consecutive tastings to reset the effect of the previous sample. The Smart Sensory box 2.3.5 platform was used to manage the QDA sessions (Smart Sensory Solution, Sassari, Italy).  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l} \hline \hline
**Attribute** & **Definition** \\ \hline _Appearance_ & \\ Colour uniformity & Overall colour uniformity \\ Surface uniformity & Product surface free of holes and granules \\ Inner colour & Intensity of the cheese’s inner colour (from white to ivory) \\ Brightness & Shininess or glossiness of the surface \\ Number of eyes & Average number of eyes in the cheese mass \\ Uniformity after cutting & Cut surface free of holes and granules \\ Buttermilk release & Amount of buttermilk released after cutting \\ _Odour_ & \\ Milk & Odour arising from milk at room temperature \\ Butter & Odour arising from butter at room temperature \\ Yoghurt & Characteristic odour of plain whole yoghurt \\ _Taste_ & \\ Salitiness & Fundamental taste associated with sodium chloride \\ Sweetness & Fundamental taste associated with sucrose \\ Bittermess & Fundamental taste associated with quinine \\ Sourness & Fundamental taste associated with citric acid \\ _Flavour_ & \\ Fruity & Odour associated with fruits such as pineapple \\ Whey & Characteristic whey flavour \\ _Texture_ & \\ Tenderness & Minimum force required to chew cheese sample; the lower the \\ Oiliness & Moreover, the greater the tenderness \\ Oiliness & Amount of oily/fatty feeling in the mouth during chewing \\ Moisture & Moisture released by the cheese in the mouth during early \\ Maininess & Perception of particles (grains) in the mouth \\ Cohesiveness & Degree to which a cheese sample holds together or adheres itself \\  & after chewing \\ Screeneliness & Friction of the product against the teeth \\ Shear consistency & Consistency of the sample during cutting \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 2: List of attributes used by the 10-member trained panel for buffalo mozzarella cheese sensory profiling.