THE EFFECTS OF THYME AND CLOVE ESSENTIAL OIL FORTIFIED EDIBLE FILMS ON THE PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF KASHAR CHEESE

WOS: 000368429300004About 1.5% (v/v) thyme and clove essential oils were added to 1.5% (w/v) sorbitol-amended whey isolate-based film. These films were used for coating traditional semi-hard kashar cheese (traditional Turkish cheese). Escherichia coli O157: H7, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus microorganisms were selected for the determination of antimicrobial properties of the films by artificial contamination. Additionally, some physical-chemical properties of the cheese were determined on storage time (1st, 15th, 30th and 60th). Based on the results, it was found that the thyme-fortified film (WPIOF) and the clove-fortified film (WPISF) both had positive effects on the physical-chemical properties of the kashar cheese. During the 60 days of storage, E. coli O157: H7, L. monocytogenes and S. aureus levels all increased in uncoated control samples but decreased in samples coated with WPIOF and WPISF. A significant relationship was detected between the coating of the cheese samples with film containing essential oils and antimicrobial activity (P < 0.05)