Abstract
The search for foods that do not use chemical preservatives in their composition has been growing over the years, and as a result, studies on active packaging have been intensified, which has as principle, in addition to protecting, transporting and containing the food, interact with it. In this context, the present study has developed an active antimicrobial, aromatic and biodegradable packaging in order to reduce the natural contamination of sliced Mozzarella cheese, which has shelf life of five days after manipulation. For this, a film was developed containing cassava starch, a plasticizing agent, gum arabic and oregano essential oil, as an antimicrobial agent. The research used the serial dilution methodology for counting and to aid in the isolation of the product natural contamination. The diffusion methodology in Agar in PDA medium with chloramphenicol was used to identify the antimicrobial power of the polymer matrix and the Casting method for film manufacture. With the results, it was possible to identify that only the film with the addition of oregano essential oil showed fungicidal action when compared to the same film without it, forming an inhibition halo of about 25 mm against Hyphopichia burtonii yeast isolated from the product itself, when stored under conditions stipulated by the supplier (Styrofoam trays stored in conventional refrigerator).
Highlights
Mozzarella cheese is food rich in nutrients, which favors the proliferation of microorganisms that can lead to changes in the organoleptic characteristics of the product and / or food poisoning [1]
Sliced Mozzarella cheese was kindly provided by the Faculty of Thermomechanical Technology (FTT)
Xanthan gum and glycerol were used, in addition to cassava starch. These two ingredients were replaced by gum arabic and sorbitol, which gave better results in relation to film elasticity and incorporation of the oregano essential oil, which is a fully hydrophobic compound
Summary
Mozzarella cheese is food rich in nutrients, which favors the proliferation of microorganisms that can lead to changes in the organoleptic characteristics of the product and / or food poisoning [1]. Cheese flavor is altered due to the production of compounds resulting from bacterial metabolism, such as acetic acid [2]. In this innovative concept of food protection, antimicrobial agents are incorporated into polymer chains and can be slowly released onto the food surface, inhibiting microbial deterioration on the product surface [9]. The controlled release of the active agent allows maintaining the critical concentration necessary to inhibit microbial multiplication and, the amount of additives added to the product is reduced [10]. Active antimicrobial packaging is an alternative method to overcome limitations of the direct addition of preservatives in food formulations, such as the reduction of its antimicrobial potential due to reactions and/or interaction with food matrix components [11]
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