Investigation of the effects of different packaging materials on bioactive properties and quality parameters of Savak tulum cheese in the ripening process

Şavak Tulum cheese is a cheese variety that is highly appreciated by consumers and is socially, economically and culturally important in Turkey. The quality of the product can be affected by the type of packaging. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect on the quality of Şavak Tulum cheese packaged with three different packaging materials (vacuum package: VP, plastic container: PC and sausage casing: SC) as reflected physicochemical, proteolysis, lipolysis, volatile profile, microbiological, and sensory changes during 150 days. The type of packaging used in the ripening of Şavak Tulum cheese supported physicochemical, proteolysis and lipolysis characteristics. VP and SC packaging had a less porous structure compared to PB packaging, which had a significant effect on dry matter, salt, pH, lactic acid, fat, and protein values in Tulum cheeses. SC packaged samples, which had less oxygen permeability, had lower dry matter and salt content, but higher proteolytic activity. The levels of volatile aroma compounds varied greatly among the cheeses depending on the factors studied. Principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and heat map cluster analyses were performed to distinguish the different components (free amino acids and volatile compounds) in the cheeses according to ripening time and packaging type. Total free amino acids (TFAAs) were higher in SC and VP cheeses than in PC cheeses from the 120th day of storage. During storage, hardness, gumminess, and chewiness values were higher in the VP cheeses. The SC packaged samples stood out more with their semi-hard structure. The cheeses packed with sausage casing were characterized by the highest mean values of sensory attributes (except taste). VP packaged samples were the most popular in terms of taste. Counts of coliform group microorganisms were not detected in vacuum and sausage casing-packed cheeses from the 90th day of ripening. Total yeast-mold count decreased in all samples during storage. Total mesophilic aerobic bacteria counts decreased in PB samples, increased in VP samples, and no statistically significant difference was observed in SK samples. As a result, it was concluded that cheeses ripened with SC and VP packaging materials gave more effective results in terms of bioactive properties and quality parameters and could be used as a good alternative to the plastic container commonly used in the packaging of Şavak Tulum cheese.