Extension of the shelf-life of fresh pasta using modified atmosphere packaging and bioprotective cultures

Marinella Marzano; Maria Calasso; Giusy Rita Caponio; Giuseppe Celano; Bruno Fosso; Domenico De Palma; Mirco Vacca; Elisabetta Notario; Graziano Pesole; Francesca De Leo; Maria De Angelis

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.1003437

Extension of the shelf-life of fresh pasta using modified atmosphere packaging and bioprotective cultures

Front Microbiol. 2022 Sep 2:13:1003437. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1003437. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Istituto di Biomembrane, Bioenergetica e Biotecnologie Molecolari, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Bari, Italy.
² Dipartimento di Scienze del Suolo, della Pianta e degli Alimenti, Università degli Studi di Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy.
³ Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Biotecnologie e Biofarmaceutica, Università degli Studi di Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy.
⁴ Food Safety Lab s.r.l., Corato, BA, Italy.

Abstract

Microbial stability of fresh pasta depends on heat treatment, storage temperature, proper preservatives, and atmosphere packaging. This study aimed at improving the microbial quality, safety, and shelf life of fresh pasta using modified atmosphere composition and packaging with or without the addition of bioprotective cultures (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium spp., and Bacillus coagulans) into semolina. Three fresh pasta variants were made using (i) the traditional protocol (control), MAP (20:80 CO₂:N₂), and barrier packaging, (ii) the experimental MAP (40:60 CO₂:N₂) and barrier packaging, and (iii) the experimental MAP, barrier packaging, and bioprotective cultures. Their effects on physicochemical properties (i.e., content on macro elements, water activity, headspace O₂, CO₂ concentrations, and mycotoxins), microbiological patterns, protein, and volatile organic compounds (VOC) were investigated at the beginning and the end of the actual or extended shelf-life through traditional and multi-omics approaches. We showed that the gas composition and properties of the packaging material tested in the experimental MAP system, with or without bioprotective cultures, positively affect features of fresh pasta avoiding changes in their main chemical properties, allowing for a storage longer than 120 days under refrigerated conditions. These results support that, although bioprotective cultures were not all able to grow in tested conditions, they can control the spoilage and the associated food-borne microbiota in fresh pasta during storage by their antimicrobials and/or fermentation products synergically. The VOC profiling, based on gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS), highlighted significant differences affected by the different manufacturing and packaging of samples. Therefore, the use of the proposed MAP system and the addition of bioprotective cultures can be considered an industrial helpful strategy to reduce the quality loss during refrigerated storage and to increase the shelf life of fresh pasta for additional 30 days by allowing the economic and environmental benefits spurring innovation in existing production models.

Keywords: bioprotective cultures; fresh pasta; metagenomics; modified atmosphere packaging; multi-omics approach; shelf-life.

Grants and funding

This project has received funding from Regione Puglia Asse 1 - Azione 1.6 Bando INNONETWORK “sostegno alle attivita’ di r&s per lo sviluppo di nuove tecnologie sostenibili, di nuovi servizi e prodotti” under grant agreement No: 1JLZKD0 (OMICS4FOOD). This work was also supported by ELIXIR-IT, the research infrastructure for life-science data, under grant agreement No: 871075 (ELIXIR-CONVERGE) and by the Rete LAIFF-Rete di laboratori per l’innovazione nel campo degli alimenti funzionali.