AbstractsBiology & Animal Science

Oregano essential oil (OEO) is recognized for antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Incorporation of OEO into an edible film prepared with whey protein isolate (WPI) may improve the shelf-life of queso blanco (cheese). The overall goal of the proposed study was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of antimicrobial and antioxidant WPI edible films (WPIFs) with OEO to improve the shelf life of queso blanco wrapped in the WPIFs during one month of refrigerated storage. Production of potential antimicrobial and antioxidant WPIFs with OEO (WPIOF) was possible. Flaxseed oil (FO) was incorporated into cheese by homogenization (HFQ), which caused significant susceptibility to oxidation when compared to the control cheese (QU). However, it did not have major effects on any other physic-chemical characteristics such as color and texture. Unwrapped HFQ oxidation rate significantly increased during 1-mo of storage, but wrapping with WPIOF was effective in extending the shelf life of omega 3 queso blanco (WOHFQ) by preventing the growth of yeast and molds and retarding oxidative reactions. This study demonstrated that WPIOF can be used to improve refrigerated shelf-life of queso-blanco and queso blanco containing FO.