The MICROBIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF COALHO CHEESES COATED WITH EDIBLE TOPPINGS MADE WITH GELATIN, CHITOSAN AND POMEGRANATE EXTRACT

MICROBIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF COALHO CHEESES COATED WITH EDIBLE TOPPINGS MADE WITH GELATIN, CHITOSAN AND POMEGRANATE EXTRACT

Abstract

Cheese is a dairy product produced all over the world and with great market value and appreciation. In Brazil, it is, in addition to all that, an important source of income, with a great diversity of production and different categories. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of edible coatings based on gelatin, chitosan and pomegranate extract in coalho cheese. For this, four different groups of coatings were prepared, one containing only gelatin (G), another containing only chitosan (Q), a subsequent one from a junction of chitosan + gelatin (GQ) and a last coating being formed by chitosan + gelatin + pomegranate extract (GQER). After the production of the toppings, the curd cheeses purchased at the supermarket were cut into smaller cubes and then these pieces were submerged in the toppings and separated into their respective groups. At work, the microbiological analyzes were divided into two days. Day 0 where microbiological analyzes of mesophiles and molds and yeasts were performed in a cheese group that did not receive toppings, called the Control group (C). 5 days passed after day 0 and on day 5 the same microbiological analyzes were performed in groups: C, G, Q, GQ and GQER. When observing the results of the microbiological analysis, it is possible to observe that the coverage with pomegranate extract caused a reduction in the number of colonies of mesophilic bacteria and the formation of molds and yeasts, showing the potential of this component in food preservation. It was also noticed that the Q and GQ groups also had effectiveness in the antimicrobial activity in the counting of colonies of molds and yeasts.