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Packaging of Cheese – New
Advances
Prof: HE Spinnler
UMR GMPA
AgroParisTech
78850 Thiverval-Grignon
France
[email protected]
22nd October 2014
Introduction
• Use / Type of pack
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 One piece such as in Camembert cheese
 A portion : ripening of a wheel of a Swiss cheese (Vacuum condition)
 A pre-wrapped : a piece of Roquefort on a shelf in a grocery store
•
FUNCTION:
 In ripening
product
Heat transfers, gas exchange, interactions packaging
 Protection
 Shape
 Support :
 traceability
 product information such as weight, bar code, etc…
 Image
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Pressed
Cheeses
Small size pressed
cheeses
Soft cheeses
Mould ripened
Washed rind
Typology of cheese packaging
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Support material
• Polymer
• Aluminium
• Paper
Additional matter
• Varnish & Glue
• Wax, parafins & melts
• Extruded resins
Residual
Solvents
Transformation
• Material Assembly
• Support material
and additional matter
Residual
Solvents
Personalised impressions
Additional materials
Ink & Varnish
Personalised rolls aligned and cut
Finished products :
Sheets
Rolls adapted to the size of the machine
Plan
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1) Typology of cheese
packaging
2) High permeability to O2 :
example of camembert
Characteristics of polymer films
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Cellulose Polypropylene Polyethylene Polyester Polyamide
film
Exterior
aspect
Bright
Bright, matt or
pearly, can be
metalized
White,
translucent or
matt (PEHD)
Bright
can be
metalized
Bright
Moisture
barrier
Subject to
external
conditions
High
High
Weak
Weak
Barrier to
gas
Subject to
external
conditions
Weak
Weak
High
High
Print
support
Good
Good for
oriented
polypropylene
Bad
Good
Good for
oriented
polyamide
High
Good
High
High
Mechanical Good
resistance
Folding
capacity
Good
Weak
Average
Good
Average
Heat
resistance
Increased
Weak
Weak
Increased
Increased
The context of cheese packaging
Packaging permeability
Packaging
degradation
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Cheese
Protein
breakdown
Ripening catabolisms
Microbial
activity
P
a
c
k
a
g
i
n
g
Speed of
gas
diffusion
Heat of
fermentation
Temperature of the storage place/ cheese T°
Storage
condition
(%RH)
Characteristics
of the over
packaging and
of the storage
room
atmosphere
Structures of cheese packaging
1) Packaging for Processed cheese
2) Multilayered structure for Fresh cheese
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1) Packaging for Pressed cheese
They all need the following
•
High barrier is needed : moisture, oxygen, water vapour
•
Aluminium brings a total barrier and good rigidity – paper
absorbs residual humidity – Wax is necessary to facilitate
easy use in machines – varnish protects the aluminium
from the cheese
•
The film should provide a barrier to oxygen – the
polyethylene is acting as a barrier to water vapour
Structures of cheese packaging
Packaging for mould ripened cheese : a complex combination
Opaque or translucent paper
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a) Traditional structure
Extruded film with controlled
permeability
Opaque or translucent paper
Hydrophobic coated
b) innovative structure
Structure of packaging for raw milk mould ripened cheese
- Paper or cellulose is a moisture buffer
- The part in contact with the cheese should be very hydrophobic to avoid to
stick
- The paraffine may break when the paper is folded and will provoke irregular
zones of evaporation => drought of the cheese in these zones
-New hydrophobic coating are possible and avoid it
Structures of cheese packaging
Structure of packaging for mould ripened cheese made with pasteurised milk
Cellulose film
Line of glue
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Opaque or translucent paper
a) Compensate cheese making variability
Polypropylene microperforated
Line of glue
Opaque or translucent paper
b) Do not compensate cheese making variability
Polypropylene microperforated
Line of glue
Opaque or translucent paper
Extruded film with controlled
permeability
c) Good compromise between quality and price
Structures of cheese packaging
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Packaging for mould ripened cheese :
• a complex combination
Two structures available :
• for raw milk mould ripened cheese
• for mould ripened cheese made with pasteurised milk
Functionality covers following aspects :
• Paper or cellulose is a buffer to moisture
• The part in contact with the cheese is very
hydrophobic to prevent sticking
• The paraffine may break when the paper is folded
and will provoke irregular zones of evaporation =>
uneven cheese drying out in these zones
• This aspect of drying can be minimized with new
hydrophobic coatings
11
Structures of cheese packaging
Metallised polypropylene
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Wax or extrusion
Paper
Structure of packaging for mould ripened
cheese in wedges
Glue
Paper
Structure of packaging for mould ripened
cheese in square : very stabilized – need
a high barrier level
Packaging for washed rind cheeses
Polypropylene microperforated
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Lines of glue
Greaseproof paper
- Should be able to trap the moisture
- Greaseproof paper is a good compromise between
antisticking properties and moisture absorption
- The weight loss is determined by the hole density in the
poly propylene
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2 Example of camembert
•VFB1 has the highest permeability to water vapor thoughVFC has the best
capacity to trap the water
• INVOS has the lowest permeability but provokes the lowest weight loss
Picque et al, 2010 J. Dairy Science 93 : 5601-5612
Mesophilic
microorganisms
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Growth at 80 to 95%
Relative Humidity
Resistant to salt
The
ripening
flora
Bacteria
Yeasts
Moulds
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Use of specific equipment
Scheme of the cell for respiration measurement : Temperature is
controlled by putting the cell in a cold room (4 to 15°C), RH
and atmosphere can be controlled
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3 Example of camembert
3 Example of camembert : a packaging on the market
Ex : CAMEMBERTS made with thermised milk
CHARACTERISTICS


used for the cheese called Le Châtelain
permits to give a rustic aspect
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STRUCTURE
Polypropylene 20 micrometres
Impression : flexo or helio
Perforation n°28 : 10x7
Glued by strips of stick
Kraft paper 32 g/m²
Bright wax
PROCESS
1- Impression in hélio or flexo
2- Enduction of brighting wax
3- Glued by stripped of stick+ perforations in lines
From AF Venthenat- AMCOR-France, 2003
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3 Example of camembert : mass loss after packaging
- High weigh losses with VFB1
- Packaging VFC better humidity absorber than VFB2
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3 Example of camembert : respiration after packaging
VFB1 has the lowest respiration level.
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3 Example of camembert : respiration after packaging
VFB1 and the unwraped gave poor deacidification levels
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3 Example of camembert : Growth
VFB2 and Invos are favouring Brevibacterium growth
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3 Example of camembert : proteolysis
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3 Example of camembert
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3 Example of camembert : texture
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Olle Resa et al, 2014
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• Positive use of edible films with nisin and
natamycin against a mixed culture.
• Nisin did not affect the bioavailability of natamycin
and vice versa.
• The films tested as barrier prevented the
contamination of the agar and cheese
• Films containing nisin and natamycin controlled
the growth of mixed culture.
Olle Resa et al, 2014
CONCLUSIONS (1)
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• Cheese quality is very sensitive to packaging
• The complexity of the processes involved in
the packaging favours major quality factors :
1. for pasteurised camembert, aspect is
privileged
2. for raw milk camembert, the maintenance
of a strong microbial activity to improve the
flavours is privileged
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CONCLUSIONS (2)
• The packaging traps the flavours which
migrate into the cheese but may keep also
water and CO2.
• These two components have a strong
impact on the microbial activity and the shelflife.
•
It explains the diversity of solutions proposed
•
The demand to increase shelf-life needs a
system that is running fast at the beginning
but slow down after a while.
Not many solutions are on the market for
this demand.
•