Use of biodegradable materials as alternative packaging of typical Calabrian Provola cheese

Calabrian Provola cheese is typically manufactured in the Southern Italy. The request of a more suitable expansionin the national market has promoted this research, based on the evaluation of biodegradable packagingon its qualitative characteristics as alternative of the conventional plastic multilayer film. The tested materialswere: Polyethylene/Ethylene vinyl alcohol/Polyamide/Polyethylene (PE/EVOH/PA/PE), Polylactic acid (PLA),coated with a silicon oxide barrier, and Cellophane, coated with resins. The results of this study evidenced thatthe material based on PLA can be considered a valid alternative packaging because of the quality maintenance ofCalabrian Provola cheese and its sustainable characteristics.