Application of an alginate-based edible coating with bacteriocin-producing Lactococcus strains in fresh cheese preservation

Edible coatings incorporated with bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can provide an alternative natural preservation method as they can offer an additional microbiological protection to food products. The bacteriocin-producing strains Lactococcus lactis L3A21M1 and Lc. garvieae SJM17 isolated from artisanal Azorean cheeses were incorporated into an edible fresh-cheese coating composed of alginate, maltodextrin and glycerol. The immobilization of Lactococcus cells into the coating had no negative effect on their viability and antibacterial activity throughout 10 days storage at 4 °C and 10 °C. The application of coating with immobilized Lactococcus cells on cheeses reduced significantly (p