Academic Journal
Phage-activated edible biopackaging for Listeria monocytogenes control in cheese: in vitro and in vivo assessment of whey protein- and tapioca starch-based solutions.
| Τίτλος: | Phage-activated edible biopackaging for Listeria monocytogenes control in cheese: in vitro and in vivo assessment of whey protein- and tapioca starch-based solutions. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Garofalo G; Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze 4, 90128, Palermo, Italy., Pisana C; Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 100, Catania, 95123, Italy., Caccamo M; Consorzio per la Ricerca nel settore della Filiera Lattiero-Casearia e dell'agroalimentare (CoRFiLaC), 97100, Ragusa, Italy., Busetta G; Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze 4, 90128, Palermo, Italy., Donà G; Sphera Encapsulation S.r.l., Via Alessandro Volta 15A, Dossobuono di Villafranca, 37062, Verona, Italy., Cappellaro A; Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Via Giovanni Gradenigo, 6B, 35131, Padova, Italy., Marcelli B; Phageguard/Micreos Food Safety, Nieuwe Kanaal 7P, 6709 PA, Wageningen, the Netherlands., Wouters JA; Phageguard/Micreos Food Safety, Nieuwe Kanaal 7P, 6709 PA, Wageningen, the Netherlands., Settanni L; Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze 4, 90128, Palermo, Italy., Gaglio R; Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze 4, 90128, Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: raimondo.gaglio@unipa.it., Caggia C; Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 100, Catania, 95123, Italy; Consorzio per la Ricerca nel settore della Filiera Lattiero-Casearia e dell'agroalimentare (CoRFiLaC), 97100, Ragusa, Italy. |
| Πηγή: | Food microbiology [Food Microbiol] 2026 Sep; Vol. 138, pp. 105087. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Mar 18. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Elsevier Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 8601127 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1095-9998 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 07400020 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Food Microbiol Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: London : Elsevier Original Publication: London ; Orlando : Academic Press, c1984- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Listeria monocytogenes*/growth & development , Listeria monocytogenes*/virology , Listeria monocytogenes*/drug effects , Cheese*/microbiology , Whey Proteins*/chemistry , Whey Proteins*/pharmacology , Manihot*/chemistry , Bacteriophages*/physiology , Food Packaging*/methods , Food Packaging*/instrumentation , Starch*/chemistry , Starch*/pharmacology , Food Preservation*/methods , Food Preservation*/instrumentation, Food Contamination/prevention & control ; Colony Count, Microbial ; Animals ; Food Microbiology |
| Περίληψη: | The growing demand for natural and sustainable food preservation strategies has driven the development of innovative edible biopackaging solutions. This study aimed to formulate and evaluate the role of two novel anti-Listeria edible bioactive packaging solutions, based on whey protein (WPS) and tapioca starch (TSS), both activated with the commercial bacteriophage Listex™ P100. Physical analyses revealed that WPS exhibited higher density (1.08 g/mL), lower surface tension (56.9 mN/m), and a higher negative zeta potential (-37.0 mV) compared to TSS (0.97 g/mL, 74.7 mN/m, -4.4 mV, respectively), indicating superior spreadability and electrostatic stability than TSS packaging. WPS films also demonstrated greater thickness (0.188 mm vs. 0.094 mm) and lower transparency (759.13 % vs. 233.56 %) than TSS films. Both formulations maintained microbiological safety and phage viability for up to 60 days under refrigerated conditions. In vivo trials, on artificially contaminated cheese samples, showed a significant reduction in Listeria monocytogenes counts [≈1.1 log colony forming units (CFU)/g] after 3 days of storage when treated with either WPS or TSS phage containing coatings, compared to untreated controls. From a sensory standpoint, mini cheeses coated with WPS were rated as having excellent overall quality, characterized by a typical appearance and absence of visual defects. These findings provide a preliminary proof-of-concept for the use of phage-activated edible coatings as a sustainable and safe strategy to improve cheese safety. (Copyright © 2026 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of competing interest We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and there has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Bacteriophage; Biopackaging; Cheese; Food safety; Listeria monocytogenes; Physical properties |
| Substance Nomenclature: | 0 (Whey Proteins) 9005-25-8 (Starch) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260410 Date Completed: 20260715 Latest Revision: 20260715 |
| Update Code: | 20260715 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.fm.2026.105087 |
| PMID: | 41963060 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1095-9998 |
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| DOI: | 10.1016/j.fm.2026.105087 |