Effects of natamycin edible films fortified with essential oils on the safety and quality parameters of Kashar cheese

Effects of the edible films coated with natamycin (N) solutions and enriched with essential oils (EOs) were investigated on the chemical (e.g., the rates of pH, dry matter, fat, acidity, salt, protein, water soluble nitrogen, ripening index (RI), 12% trichloroacetic acid-soluble nitrogen, and pH 4.6 soluble-nitrogen), microbial (e.g., total number of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria in MRS, lactic acid bacteria in M17, coliform and mould) and sensory properties of Kashar cheese during ripening time (3rd, 30th, 60th and 90th days) in the present study. Antimicrobial effectiveness of the films against moulds was measured on 30th, 60th, and 90th days of storage. The highest and lowest mould counts were determined for the C (2.87 log cfu/g) and N5 (1 log cfu/g) samples, respectively, at 90 days of ripening. Compared to other cheese samples, C and N3 coated cheese samples represented higher levels of water-soluble nitrogen and RI at the end of storage. N3 coated cheese samples were preferred more by the panellists while N5 coated cheese samples received the lowest scores. Practical applications: Antibacterial and antioxidant activities of essential oils have received considerable attention in food preservation. During Kashar cheese storage, the edible film incorporating oregano and rosemary essential oils coating process showed reducing effect on the microbial growth and extended the shelf-life of Kashar cheese. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.