Modified atmosphere packaging for cottage cheese

Traditional packaging of processed cheese consisted of triangular portions packaged in tinfoil (97% tin, 3% antimony and traces of lead, copper and iron) because of its resistance to corrosion by processing salts.

In case of cottage cheese, it has a very short shelf-life of about 21-28 days under even proper refrigerated conditions. The primary cause of spoilage is the growth of psychrotrophs and Gram-negative bacteria, which results in the production of undesirable flavors and turns the curd slimy.

Modified atmosphere packaging has been applied to successfully prolong the shelf-life of cottage cheese and improve the shelf-life of sliced and shredded cheeses.

The shelf-life of cottage cheese, without chemical preservatives, stored at 3-4 °C is about 14-21 days. Flushing the headspace (25%) of commercial packages of cottage cheese with pure CO2 extended the shelf-life at 8 °C without altering the sensory properties or causing any other negative effects.
Modified atmosphere packaging for cottage cheese