α, β-citral from Cymbopogon citratus on cellulosic film: Release potential and quality of coalho cheese

- Mechanical analysis showed a film with rigidity and flexibility.
- α, β-Citral migrated to cheese coalho without change texture.
- Acetate cellulose film with essential oil (CAEOF) can be an alternative to packaging for cheese.

Cellulose acetate films (CAF) with Cymbopogon citratus were tested on coalho cheese to investigate the migration of α, β-Citral and the quality cheese. The film was evaluated for mechanical properties, water vapor permeability, thickness and solubility and the cheese packed was evaluated every 25 days to texture, color, and presence of the citral by volatile analyzes, using gas chromatography with FID detector. The film thickness varied, mechanical analysis of the film showed good condition, demonstrating a film with rigidity and flexibility. The cheese's texture had no changes and the yellow color was enhanced during the 25 days. In the first two hours, cheese packed control percentage areas of the neral and geranial on the surface of the cheese were around 1.2 × 105, indicating that the volatiles passed to the cheese surface quickly and reached their maximum levels in ten days. From day 15, citral levels in the cheese decreased with this tendency until the 25th day. Dispersion of the citral on the surface to the inner part of the coalho cheese was observed, reaching great migration from the 20th day. These results suggest that the film used with the essential oil was active and could guarantee a safer food.