Comparative study of four edible coatings of wheat bread containing lactic acid bacteria showed that coating with Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, sodium alginate, whey and glycerol had the best protective properties against microbial spoilage. The viability of lactic acid bacteria was high in the coating containing alginate and whey: a loss in viability was in one - three orders of magnitude lower from initial concentration of 108-109 CFU/g coating after 120 h of storage. Wheat bread with edible coating did not differ by organoleptic assessment from control. The application of edible coating containing lactic acid bacteria to wheat bread diminished the number of mesophilic aerobic and facultative aerobic bacteria in the bread crust and protected it from contamination of mycelium fungi of genera Aspergillus and Penicillium that could preserve wheat bread from mold spoilage and increase shell life.
Keywords: Edible coating; Microbial spoilage; Probiotics; Wheat bread.