A new method to produce synbiotic Fiordilatte cheese

• A synbiotic Fiordilatte cheese was developed.
• The technique to entrap the probiotic microorganism was assessed.
• Shelf life tests were conducted to also assess the quality of cheese.
• Viability of probiotic bacteria was assessed for the entire storage period.
• The functional coating also showed a little antimicrobial activity.

In this study we have formulated a synbiotic Fiordilatte cheese with an edible sodium alginate coating as carrier of probiotic (Lactobacillus rhamnosus) and prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharide substances (FOS). The objectives of this study are the evaluation of the coating technique to entrap the microorganism without altering its vitality and the monitoring of the microorganism vitality during the entire storage period. To these aims, shelf life tests were conducted at three different storage temperatures (4 °C as refrigeration temperature, 9 °C as moderate thermal abuse and 14 °C as thermal abuse) to assess the microbiological, sensory and functional quality of cheese. Therefore, both spoilage and probiotic bacteria were monitored. Results proved that viability of lactic acid bacteria in the functional product remained over the imposed limit (107 CFU/g) for the entire storage period in all the experimental trials with counts accounting for about 4.52 × 107 CFU/g at 4 °C, 3.42 × 107 at 9 °C and 4.62 × 107 at 14 °C. Furthermore, the addition of probiotic and prebiotic substances in the coating provoked a slight antimicrobial effect against Pseudomonas spp. and Enterobacteriaceae that improved the final taste of the product and prolonged its shelf life.Industrial relevanceNowadays consumers' nutritional expectations are growing higher and for this reason food must be healthier and possibly contribute to illness prevention. In this context, probiotics and prebiotics play an important role in the development of functional synbiotic foods. This study could gain industrial relevance because it represents a real case-study to develop a symbiotic cheese.