In recent years, there has been a growing interest in
edible and
biodegradable films due to their sustainability, environmental friendliness,
and their functionality. In this work,Aloe veraoil-added agar–gelatin films were prepared and characterized
in terms of water content, degree of swelling, water solubility, antioxidant
activity, and antimicrobial activity. The possibility of using these
edible films for Kashar cheese packaging during cold storage was investigated.
Physical, chemical, and microbiological properties of the packaged
cheese samples were examined for 20 days of cold storage at 4 °C.A. veraoil-added films were found to have antibacterial
activity againstEscherichia coliandStaphylococcus aureusand antifungal activities againstAspergillus nigerandCandida albicans.A. veraoil-added films showed high
antioxidant activities, increasing with the increasingA. veraoil percentage in the formulation. The current
study showed that at the end of 20 days of storage period, bacterial
growth inA. veraoil-incorporated
film-covered samples was 2.30 log CFU/g lower than the control samples,
and the amount of yeast and mold inA. veraoil-added film-covered samples was 3.37 log CFU/g lower than control
samples. This shows the efficiency ofA. veraoil-incorporated agar–gelatin films during the refrigerated
storage period. Our data evidenced the positive effect ofA. veraoil-added agar–gelatin films on Kashar
cheese packaging as an innovative and sustainable technique to maintain
cheese quality and prevent food loss during storage.