An innovative packaging system has been obtained, based on natural gels, that has shown the peculiar characteristic to strongly increase the shelf life of water buffalo Mozzarella cheese. To explain the mechanism of action of the gel, measurements of Ca and Na in the cheese and in the storage liquid are carried out, together with pH determination. A correlation has been found between the constant level of Ca and pH in the cheese and the prolongation of nutritional characteristics; in fact, both parameters diminish significantly in the absence of gel. At the same time, the weight of the cheese in gel remains constant for as long as 30 d. Confocal laser microscopy gives direct evidence of the persistent physical structure of proteins and lipids of Mozzarella when stored in gel.
Water buffalo mozzarella cheese stored in Polysaccharide-based Gels: correlation between prolonged shelf-life and physicochemical parameters
P Laurienzo;M Malinconico;G Mazzarella;MG Volpe
2008
Abstract
An innovative packaging system has been obtained, based on natural gels, that has shown the peculiar characteristic to strongly increase the shelf life of water buffalo Mozzarella cheese. To explain the mechanism of action of the gel, measurements of Ca and Na in the cheese and in the storage liquid are carried out, together with pH determination. A correlation has been found between the constant level of Ca and pH in the cheese and the prolongation of nutritional characteristics; in fact, both parameters diminish significantly in the absence of gel. At the same time, the weight of the cheese in gel remains constant for as long as 30 d. Confocal laser microscopy gives direct evidence of the persistent physical structure of proteins and lipids of Mozzarella when stored in gel.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
