Kamil Perry
Preservatives are added to cheese to prevent contamination by microorganisms, which can reduce shelf life and pose a risk to consumers' health. There are several types of preservatives used in cheese, including natural preservatives, synthetic preservatives, and antimicrobial preservatives. Natural preservatives from plants have been found to have promising results in inhibiting the growth of microorganisms, but further studies are needed to confirm their effectiveness. Synthetic preservatives such as sorbic acid, sodium benzoate, and hydrogen peroxide are also used to prolong the shelf life of cheese. Antimicrobial preservatives like sorbates (E200, E202, E203) are effective against mould and yeast. Other preservatives used in cheese include nisin, natamycin, and chitosan.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To retard alterations caused by the growth of microorganisms, or enable physical properties, chemical composition and original nutritional value to remain unaffected |
| Examples | Green pepper, sorbic acid, sodium benzoate plus benzoic acid and hydrogen peroxide, nisin, natamycin, chitosan, lisozyme, natamicina (E235), sorbates (E200, E202, E203) |
| Natural preservatives | Natural ingredients are receiving increasing attention as substitutes for synthetic additives |
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What You'll Learn
Sorbic acid (E200) and other sorbates
Sorbic acid is added to the surface of cheese to prevent the formation of mould. It can be applied by immersing the cheese in a disinfectant solution or by spraying it on. If the crust is thin, it is advisable to remove a bit of the sub-crust before consuming the cheese.
Other preservatives used in cheese-making include natamicina (E235), which is an antifungal antibiotic used to prevent the formation of mould on the surface of extra hard, hard and semi-hard cheeses. Nisin is also a preservative used in cheese, which is active against most Gram-positive bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes.
There is an increasing demand for natural preservatives in cheese-making, as consumers are becoming more health-conscious and are seeking out foods free from synthetic preservatives. Natural preservatives from plants have shown promising results in inhibiting the growth of microorganisms, but further studies are needed to confirm their effectiveness.
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Nisin
The use of Nisin as a preservative in cheese can help to maintain the physical properties, chemical composition and original nutritional value of the product. It is important to control the use of preservatives to prevent misuse or unnecessary use.
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Natamycin (or Pimaricin E235)
Preservatives are added to cheese to prevent alterations caused by the growth of microorganisms and to maintain physical properties, chemical composition and nutritional value. Natamycin (or Pimaricin E235) is an antifungal antibiotic used for the surface treatment of extra hard, hard and semi-hard cheese, to prevent the formation of mould. It is applied by immersing the cheese in a disinfectant solution or by spraying it on. It should not be found 5mm below the surface, which is why cheeses treated with Natamycin are often labelled with 'rind not edible'. If the crust is thin, it is advisable to remove a bit of sub-crust before consuming the cheese.
Natamycin is a natural preservative, which is receiving increasing attention as a substitute for synthetic additives. Natural preservatives have bioactive compounds, which might provide health benefits in the prevention of several diseases. They have also been shown to have antimicrobial activity, which could delay or inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms in food, as well as minimise the incidence of foodborne diseases caused by food spoilage bacteria and fungi.
The use of natural preservatives from plants in cheese-making is an innovation in the cheese sector. Although the results are promising, further studies are needed to confirm the use of natural preservatives from plants in cheese-making.
There are several other preservatives used in cheese-making, including sorbic acid (E200), lisozyme, green pepper, sodium benzoate plus benzoic acid, hydrogen peroxide, nisin and chitosan.
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Natural preservatives from plants
Consumers are increasingly demanding healthy food that is free from synthetic preservatives. This has led to a rise in the use of natural preservatives from plants in cheese-making. Natural preservatives have bioactive compounds, which may provide health benefits in the prevention of several diseases. They also have antimicrobial activity, which can delay or inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms in food, as well as minimise the incidence of foodborne diseases caused by food spoilage bacteria and fungi.
Some natural preservatives that have been used in cheese-making include green pepper, nisin, natamycin, and chitosan. Nisin is a bacteriocin that is widely used as a food preservative, particularly in cheese. It is active against most Gram-positive bacteria, including lactococci, bacilli, micrococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and Clostridium botulinum. Natamycin is an antifungal antibiotic used for the surface treatment of extra hard, hard and semi-hard cheese to prevent the formation of mould. It can be applied by immersing the cheese in a disinfectant solution or by spray. Chitosan is another natural preservative that has been used in cheese-making. It is a type of sugar that is found in the shells of crustaceans and has antimicrobial properties.
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Synthetic preservatives
Preservatives in cheese are used to prevent the growth of microorganisms, which can cause cheese to spoil and become a health risk to consumers. Synthetic preservatives are used to prolong the shelf life of cheese, but consumers are increasingly demanding healthy food free from synthetic preservatives.
Natamycin (or Pimaricin E235) is an antifungal antibiotic used for the surface treatment of extra hard, hard and semi-hard cheese to prevent the formation of mould. It is applied by immersing the cheese in a disinfectant solution or by spray and should not be found 5 mm below the surface.
Sodium benzoate plus benzoic acid and hydrogen peroxide are also used as preservatives in cheese. These synthetic preservatives help to prolong the shelf life of cheese by preventing the growth of microorganisms.
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Frequently asked questions
There are natural preservatives in cheese, such as adjunct lactobacillus cultures, which delay spoilage by environmental fungal contaminants without altering the quality or characteristics of the cheese.
Natural preservatives are free from synthetic preservatives and have bioactive compounds, which might provide health benefits in the prevention of several diseases. They also have antimicrobial activity, which could delay or inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms in food, as well as minimise the incidence of foodborne diseases caused by food spoilage bacteria and fungi.
Some examples of natural preservatives include pimaricin, sorbates and propionates.
