Gelatin‐starch composite coating containing cucumber peel extract and cumin essential oil: Shelf life improvement of a cheese model

In this study, the effects of gelatin‐starch (GS) composite coating containing cucumber peel extract (CPE) and cumin essential oil (CEO) were evaluated on the shelf life enhancement of ultrafiltered (UF) cheese during 56 days of storage under refrigerated conditions. The obtained hydroethanolic CPE by the microwave method showed the best results in terms of the total phenolic content, reducing power, 2,2′‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) activity, and 2,2‐azino‐bis‐3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activity compared to the immersion and ultrasound methods. The studied treatments were as follows: Control (C), GS, CPE, CEO, GS‐CPE, GS‐CEO, and GS‐CPE‐CEO. Scanning electron microscopic surface morphology of treated cheese samples showed the formation of a firm, integrated, flawless, and homogenous layer on the cheese slices of the GS‐CPE‐CEO treatment. All treatments significantly (p ≤ .05) decreased the total viable count, psychotropic bacteria, and yeast–mold population compared to the control group. Adding CEO and/or CPE to GS significantly (p ≤ .05) controlled undesirable changes in physical characteristics, such as weight, color, and hardness of the cheese slices. Throughout storage time, the coated cheese slices showed more stable chemical features in comparison to the uncoated cheese samples in terms of moisture, lipid oxidation, pH, and titratable acidity (TA). Sensory evaluation of the preparations showed that the GS coating containing CPE and CEO significantly (p ≤ .05) had pleasant effects on the sensory features (taste, odor, texture, and overall acceptability) of the cheese samples during storage time. It was concluded that composite coating of GS containing CPE and CEO could improve the microbial, physical, chemical, and sensory features of ultrafiltration (UF) cheese during refrigerated storage.