Use of Antimicrobial Methylcellulose Films to Control Staphylococcus aureus During Storage of Kasar Cheese

Olive leaf extract (OLE) (Olea europaea L.) is a natural product that has antimicrobial effect on many food pathogens. In this study, methylcellulose (MC) based antimicrobial films containing 0.5-3% (w/v) OLE and glycerol (1.6%, v/v) were produced. The effects of OLE amount on the water vapour permeability (WVP), mechanical and antimicrobial properties of the films were investigated. The films were effective against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923). The OLE in the film solution caused a decrease in WVP and elongation (E), and an increase in tensile strength (TS). The MC films containing 1.5% (w/v) OLE were applied on Kasar cheese slices inoculated with S. aureus. The count of S. aureus decreased 0.68 and 1.22 log cycle at the 7th and 14th days, respectively. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.