Sustainable preservation of cheese: Advanced technologies, physicochemical properties and sensory attributes

Background: Cheese preservation has become a major issue for the global cheese industry due to microbial spoilage and the effects of chemical preservatives on human health. Consumer health and environmental awareness have motivated researchers to introduce cheese products that contemplate safety, minimal processing, eco-labels, and clean labels.Scope and approaches: Preservation strategies include a) advanced technologies comprising non-thermal processing (high pressure, cold plasma, pulsed light, ultrasound) and packaging technologies (bioactive films, coating, and modified atmospheric packaging), b) direct incorporation of natural antimicrobial agents, such as mycocins, endolysins, lactic acid bacteria and their bacteriocins and c) application of various plant extracts, essential oils and propolis. Key findings and conclusion: Advanced technologies have shown broad-spectrum antimicrobial action with a minimal adverse effect on cheese quality.Methods such as the direct addition of plant extracts negatively affect cheese texture, sensory and physicochemical properties. However, encapsulated and film forms are known to minimize these drawbacks. This review comprehends the sustainable cheese preservation strategies, their effectiveness in shelf-life extension, and physiochemical and quality attributes of cheese post-preservation. Overall, this review can benefit the cheese industry by enhancing market value, consumer satisfaction, and environmental well-being.

Automated summary

This article reviews the development and application of cheese preservation strategies, including advanced technologies and natural antimicrobial agents. Advanced technologies have broad-spectrum antimicrobial action with minimal adverse effects on cheese quality, while the direct addition of plant extracts negatively affects cheese properties, but can be minimized by encapsulation and film forms.