title: Natural polysaccharide-based gels for dairy food preservation.
abstract: The innovative packaging systems described in the present work, based on natural gels, have been shown to increase the shelf life of the Mozzarella cheese, without adding any chemical substance and without thermal procedures. Physical, physicochemical, microbiological, analytical, and mechanical analyses were used to monitor the quality of the cheese as a function of storage type and storage time. In particular, microbiological analysis confirmed that the characteristics of the Mozzarella cheese stored at 4 degrees C in gel are maintained for more than 15 d, whereas samples stored in the mother solution lost important characteristics after 5 d. A penetration test (texture) confirmed that the Mozzarella cheese preserved in the gel maintained mechanical properties similar to those of the fresh product, even after storage for 30 d at 4 degrees C.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Chimica e Tecnologia dei Polimeri, C.N.R., Via Campi Flegrei, 34 - Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laurienzo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malinconico
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pizzano
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Manzo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Piciocchi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sorrentino
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Volpe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002020:Buffaloes; D002364:Caseins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002611:Cheese / Q000032:analysis / Q000382:microbiology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003611:Dairy Products; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D005524:Food Technology; D005782:Gels; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing; D019563:Mechanics; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011134:Polysaccharides; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D005782:Gels; D008894:Milk Proteins; D011134:Polysaccharides