Effect of active coating on microbiological and sensory properties of fresh mozzarella cheese

The effectiveness of active coating on microbiological and decay of sensory quality in mozzarella cheese was investigated. The work was divided into two subsequent experimental steps: the first one was aimed at selecting the optimal active compound among different substances, such as potassium sorbate (PS), sodium benzoate (SB), calcium lactate (CL) and calcium ascorbate (CA). In the second trial, three different concentrations (1%, 2%, 3%, w/v) of the best selected compound (PS) were tested. All active compounds were dispersed in a sodium alginic acid solution before coating the cheese. Fresh mozzarella without coating was also used as the control. During storage at a temperature of 8 +/- 1 degrees C, microbiological and sensory quality was monitored. Results obtained from the first step showed that CL and CA did not improve mozzarella cheese quality; whereas, the PS and SB showed good results. In the second trial, the coating with PS (3%) showed a certain inhibition on microbial proliferation and samples remained acceptable for 8 days with respect to the control that was refused after about 4 days. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.