Oxidative Stability of Whey Protein Isolate Coating Incorporated Beeswax: A Shelf-Life Study in Sliced Pastirma

Abstract

The main goal of the current study was to apply the whey protein isolate/beeswax (WPI/BW) as an edible coating to improve the quality and extend the shelf life of sliced pastirma stored under either aerobic or vacuum packaging. Pastirma was produced, sliced, and then allocated to four groups; the first group was aerobically packed and used as control, the second group was vacuum packed, while the third and fourth groups were coated with WPI/BW then packed in either polyethylene or vacuum bags. All groups were stored at 5 °C until the signs of unacceptability were noticed. The results showed that WPI/BW coated pastirma stored under vacuum packaging showed the most oxidative stability (low TBARS, peroxide values, met-myoglobin, and carbonyl contents, high scavenging activity) and the highest sensory quality among the different treatments. The composite treatments extended the wholesomeness of pastirma to 16 weeks at 5 °C in comparison with 12, 8, and 4 weeks for uncoated vacuum-packed, aerobically packed WPI/BW, and untreated control samples, respectively. Therefore, the application of WBI/BW edible coating before packaging of pastirma may be safely used at a commercial scale to extend the durability of pastirma.