The effect of nisin and storage temperature on the quality parameters of processed cheese

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nisin and storage temperature on the microbiological, physico-chemical and sensory properties of processed cheese. Processed cheese samples were prepared without and with 12.5 ppm nisin, stored at different temperatures (4, 8 and 20 °C). Research covered microbiological, physico-chemical and sensorial analysis of the samples. In processed cheese samples prepared without nisin, aerobic colony count (ACC) significantly increased over the experimental period, while in nisin supplemented samples no significant increase was determined. At lower storage temperature (4 °C), the effectiveness of nisin was more pronounced. Yeast and moulds (YM) and psychrotrophic colony count (PCC) were below the limit of quantification over the entire experimental period. Also, no significant changes in pH values and textural characteristics (firmness and stickiness) were determined. Sensory analyses confirmed that processed cheese samples became whiter and less yellow, compared to fresh samples. The viscosity of all samples decreased over the experimental period, which was in line with the results of baking stability. The obtained results confirmed the potential of using this type of processed cheese in baking industry