Effect of alginate beads on olfactory sensory perception of paraffin coated cheese

Flavour encapsulation is now an established technique, but different methods are associated with significant loss of flavour. In this work, we propose a novel alternative: the direct encapsulation of bacteria that produce useful aromatic compounds. The effect of alginate beads containing 3-methylbutanal or Carnobacterium maltaromaticum LMA 28 on olfactory sensory perception of paraffin-coated cheese was investigated. The abilities of bacteria to produce 3-methylbutanal and of alginate beads to diffuse this volatile compound in cheese was evaluated. Size, shape and encapsulation efficiency of alginate beads were determined. Moreover, the possible antimicrobial repercussions on the lactic acid flora of cheese were also examined. Alginate beads in both treatments were found to be uniform and spherical with a mean diameter of 1.69 ± 0.15 mm. Entrapped Carnobacterium maltaromaticum LMA 28 was able to produce 3-methylbutanal in sufficient amounts to facilitate diffusion through paraffin coating. The results identify bacterial encapsulation as superior to direct encapsulation of volatile compounds for imparting 3-methylbutanal olfactory notes to cheese.