Application of Citrus Waste–Based Films containing Lactobacillus sp. And Bifidobacterium bifidum as a Substitute for Parchment Paper in Feta Cheese

Azizian, Asghar; Noori, Negin; Gandomi, Hassan; Misaghi, Ali; Khanjari, Ali

doi:10.22092/ari.2026.371912.4014

Application of Citrus Waste–Based Films containing Lactobacillus sp. And Bifidobacterium bifidum as a Substitute for Parchment Paper in Feta Cheese

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22092/ari.2026.371912.4014

Abstract

Introduction: The application of active and biodegradable packaging as a sustainable strategy to enhance the safety and shelf life of dairy products, has gained increasing attention. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a probiotic film prepared from citrus waste as an substitute for parchment paper for the storage of feta cheese.
Materials & Methods: Treatments including: cheese samples wrapped with parchment paper, film, and films containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Lactobacillus plantarum. Then the samples were evaluated through microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory analyses.
Results: The initial probiotic counts in the films on the first day were similar, followed by a gradual decrease during storage. At the end of the storage, the viability of L. plantarum (5.33 Log CFU/g) was significantly higher than that of L. acidophilus (4.90 Log CFU/g) and B. bifidum (3.16 Log CFU/g) (P<0.05). In the evaluation of probiotic release into feta cheese, the film containing L. plantarum exhibited the highest release level. Probiotic films, particularly those containing L. plantarum, exhibited stronger antimicrobial activity. In feta cheese, the population of S. aureus in samples packaged with the L. plantarum film reached 4.22 Log CFU/g, which was significantly lower than that observed in samples wrapped with parchment paper (6.21 Log CFU/g) at the end of storage (P<0.05). Moreover, this treatment showed the best performance in controlling coliforms and molds. Incorporation of probiotics into the films resulted in reduced water vapor permeability and increased clarity, without causing significant changes in tensile strength or film thickness. Sensory evaluation indicated that cheeses coated with the L. plantarum–containing film achieved the highest overall acceptability scores.
Conclusion: citrus waste based probiotic films, especially those containing Lactobacillus sp., can be proposed as an effective and sustainable substitute for parchment paper for the preservation of cheese.

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