Quality and Shelf Life of Ready to Cook Mozzarella Cheese Stick Snack with Different Packaging Materials and Methods under Refrigerated Storage

The effect of packaging material (polyethylene and laminated pouches) and method of packaging (atmospheric and vacuum packaging) on the shelf-life of mozzarella cheese stick snacks stored under refrigerated conditions was studied.

The work was carried out in 2019-20 when the mozzarella cheese preparation and the process to make a battered and breaded mozzarella cheese sticks snacks were standardized. The snacks were then studied for its quality and shelf life in different packaging materials (polythene and laminated pouches) under atmospheric and vacuum conditions under refrigerated conditions.

There was a significant increase in acidity, free fatty acids (% oleic acid) and non-protein nitrogen of the samples during refrigerated storage. Though the chemical changes were not so great as to render the product unacceptable, however the refrigeration temperature resulted in a rapid increase in the microbial count. As a result, the samples with atmospheric packaging showed visible microbial growth on the 12^th day while those with vacuum packaging spoiled on the 13^th day.