Effect of Edible Films’ Application on the Quality Characteristics of Manchego-Type Cheese During Storage

This study aimed to characterize edible films based on potato starch and fermented and non-fermented whey solutions by Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus acidophilus and applied the formulated edible films to cover Manchego-type cheese to evaluate their quality characteristics during the storage using two different secondary packages. The results indicated that among quality characteristics evaluated, thickness (0.15–0.25 mm) and tensile strength (0.19–0.30 MPa) were significantly higher (compared to control edible films) in edible films formulated with fermented whey, regardless of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) used. After 14 days of storage, the moisture content, weight loss, and color characteristics of cheese were maintained by both edible films and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) bags. The application of edible films with fermented whey increases (4.21–5.98 log CFU/g) the content of beneficial microorganisms in the cheese, which are maintained during the storage (> 7 log cycles) regardless of the conditions. Consumer judges did not notice the application of edible films based on fermented whey to the cheese at the beginning and after 14 days of storage (LLDPE packaging), showing scores between I like and I like much in all samples evaluated. This study demonstrated that the fermentation process of whey solution for film forming and the employment of LLDPE as secondary packaging maintain the quality characteristics of Manchego-type cheese during storage.