Development of zein-based biodegradable films, characterization of the functional and structural properties and evaluation of the use as coatings in the conservation of the physicochemical characteristics of Minas padrão cheese

• Grant number: 11/08107-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: September 01, 2012
• End date: April 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Engineering
• Principal Investigator: José Francisco Lopes Filho
• Grantee: Carolina Pena Serna
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 13/12546-8 - Effect of film type and temperature on diffusion properties of biodegradable composite films, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

In 2010, South American cheese production increased 12,16 % with respect to 2009, where Colombia and Brazil contributed with 6,77 % and 4,23 %, been the third and sixth major South American producers, respectively.Minas Padrão cheese is a maturated artisanal cheese, one of the first produced in Brazil and most popular because is one of the principal ingredients of the famous cheese bread ("pão de queijo"). It is a product with origin denomination and recognized by the IPHAN (Institute of Historic and Artistic National Heritage) as a brazilian national heritage.Preserving the quality of this kind of food during transport and commercialization implies adequate packaging materials that allow for preserving the physical and chemical characteristics of the product. Most of them made from non-biodegradable materials mainly, plastics, becoming a contamination source due to their disposition and final accumulation. For that reason, nowadays, developing new renewable and biodegradable packaging materials is needed.With that purpose, different kinds of materials have been developed as biofilms or coatings. Zein is the most abundant protein in maize and has been used as a food biofilm, because is renewable, eatable and biodegradable material, however, as the other protein biofilms, it is poor water vapor resistant, making necessary to improve this feature preparing compound biofilms trough the addition of lipids, polysaccharides or other proteins.Based on that, the present project intends to produce three different composite coatings made from zein, evaluate their physical and functional properties and evaluate their effect over the preservation of physical, chemical and sensory characteristics of Minas Padrão maturated cheese.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PENA-SERNA, CAROLINA; BARRETTO PENNA, ANA LUCIA; LOPES FILHO, JOSE FRANCISCO. Zein-based blend coatings: Impact on the quality of a model cheese of short ripening period. Journal of Food Engineering, v. 171, p. 208-213, FEB 2016. (11/08107-3)

PENA SERNA, CAROLINA; LOPES FILHO, JOSE FRANCISCO. Biodegradable Zein-Based Blend Films: Structural, Mechanical and Barrier Properties. Food Technology and Biotechnology, v. 53, n. 3, p. 348-353, JUL-SEP 2015. (11/08107-3)

PENA-SERNA, CAROLINA; LOPES-FILHO, JOSE FRANCISCO. Influence of ethanol and glycerol concentration over functional and structural properties of zein-oleic acid films. Materials Chemistry and Physics, v. 142, n. 2-3, p. 580-585, NOV 15 2013. (11/08107-3)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SERNA, Carolina Pena. Desenvolvimento de filmes biodegradáveis à base de zeína, caracterização das propriedades funcionais e estruturais e avaliação do uso como cobertura na conservação das características físico-químicas do queijo Minas padrão. 2015. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Instituto de Biociências Letras e Ciências Exatas. São José do Rio Preto São José do Rio Preto.