optimizing the effect of aloe vera gel, gum arabic, and liquid smoke coatings on microbial changes of lactic cheese

Introduction: cheese, as a widely consumed food product, is highly susceptible to spoilage by microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria during storage. this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an edible coating formulated with liquid smoke essence (0, 0.5 and 1% v/v), aloe vera gel (0, 10 and 20% v/v) and gum arabic (0, 0.5 and 10% w/v) on controlling microbial growth in lactic cheese. additionally, the process was optimized using the response surface methodology. methods: lactic cheese was produced and cut into 3×3×3 cm. the cheese samples were immersed in the coating solutions for 5 minutes and then incubated at 8°c with 85% relative humidity for 8 hours to allow drying. the coated samples were packaged and stored at 4°c for 21 days. microbial analysis was conducted throughout the storage period, including total bacterial count and mold and yeast enumeration. results: the results demonstrated that the lowest bacterial count (4.278 log cfu/g) was observed in samples coated with the highest concentrations of liquid smoke essence and aloe vera gel. although gum arabic contributed to reducing the total bacterial count, its effect was less pronounced than the other treatments. regarding mold and yeast growth, the best results (2.477 log cfu/g) were obtained with the highest level of liquid smoke essence, while other parameters did not show a significant impact. conclusion: according to the optimization model, the most effective coating formulation for maximizing cheese shelf life, consists of 1% v/v liquid smoke essence, 20% v/v aloe vera gel and 10% w/v gum arabic.