Document Type : Regular Article
Authors
1 Department of Studies and Planning, University of Technology – Iraq
2 Sudan - Khartoum - Sudan University of Science and technology
3 Department of Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad – Iraq
Abstract
In this study, mozzarella cheese covered with edible biodegradable films made from whey proteins reinforced with green alcoholic extract was manufactured to reduce environmental impact from degradable plastics. Two types of mozzarella cheese were produced: the first unwrapped (control) and the second coated with whey proteins fortified with 3% green tea (envelope sample). The effect on prolonging storage life was evaluated by chemical and microbiological tests. The moisture content on the first day was 53.26% and 53.30% for the control and envelope samples, respectively. This percentage decreased significantly (P≤0.05) on the last day to 47% and 51.06%, respectively. The pH decreased during storage, indicating increased acidity in both samples, with insignificant differences (P≤0.05). The Acid Value (AV) was initially 0.13 (mEq/100 gm fat) for both samples and increased significantly during storage, reaching 2.0 and 1.1 (mEq/100 gm fat) for the control and envelope samples, respectively. Microbiological tests showed that the total bacterial count on the first day was 3.5 × 10² and 2.7 × 10² for the control and envelope samples, respectively. During storage, bacterial counts decreased by 3–6 logarithmic cycles in the envelope sample compared to the control. Gram-negative E. coli counts were two logarithmic cycles lower in the envelope sample compared to the control. The envelope sample was free of lipolytic bacteria, proteolytic bacteria, Salmonella sp., and yeasts throughout the storage period.
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