Citation: Nemati, V.; Hashempour-Baltork, F.; Sadat Gharavi-Nakhjavani, M.; Feizollahi, E.; Marangoni Júnior, L.; Mirza Alizadeh, A. Application of a Whey Protein Edible Film Incorporated with Cumin Essential Oil in Cheese Preservation. Coatings 2023, 13, 1470. https://doi.org/10.3390/ coatings13081470 Academic Editor: Fengwei (David) Xie Received: 18 July 2023 Revised: 14 August 2023 Accepted: 16 August 2023 Published: 21 August 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). coatings Article Application of a Whey Protein Edible Film Incorporated with Cumin Essential Oil in Cheese Preservation Vaez Nemati 1 , Fataneh Hashempour-Baltork 2 , Maryam Sadat Gharavi-Nakhjavani 3 , Ehsan Feizollahi 4 , Luís Marangoni Júnior 5, * and Adel Mirza Alizadeh 6,7, * 1 Department of Food Science & Technology, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan 4913815739, Iran; vaez.nemati@gmail.com 2 Halal Research Center of IRI, Iran Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran 1415845371, Iran; fhashempour92@halal.ac.ir 3 Department of Food Science and Technology, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 1955847881, Iran; gharavii.maryam@gmail.com 4 Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, Canada; efeizoll@ualberta.ca 5 Packaging Technology Center, Institute of Food Technology, Campinas 13070-178, SP, Brazil 6 Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan 4513956184, Iran 7 Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan 4513956184, Iran * Correspondence: marangoni.junior@hotmail.com (L.M.J.); a.alizadeh@zums.ac.ir (A.M.A.) Abstract: Iranian white cheese has a dynamic microbial load and moisture content of about 50%–60% and a short shelf-life (about 10 days). As a result, this research aimed to prolong the shelf-life of Iranian white cheese using an antimicrobial whey protein concentrate (WPC) edible coating enriched with 1 and 2% of cumin essential oil (CEO). The microbiological (total bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and dairy-related pathogen risk), physicochemical (fat, protein, pH, titratable acidity, moisture, and total solid content), color, texture, organoleptic, and sensorial properties of the cheese samples were assessed during 28 days of storage at 4–5 ◦ C. The integration of the WPC and the CEO reduced the moisture content of the films and improved their durability. The presence of the CEO significantly enhanced the mechanical attributes of the films, i.e., Young’s modulus and tensile strength. Cheese samples coated with WPC containing 1 and 2% CEO maintained the moisture content of the cheese samples, decreased the counts of Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli (EHEC) by 2 log after 28 days of storage. The yeast and mold count decreased from 4.6 log CFU·g −1 to 2.1 and 2 log CFU·g −1 . The edible coating did not affect the color or texture of samples during the 28 days of storage. The sensory qualities of all samples were identical, demonstrating that the coating did not influence the curd cheese flavor. This study demonstrated that an edible coating made of WPC with the addition of CEO could effectively improve the shelf-life of Iranian white cheese, contribute to the development of a more sustainable manufacturing process, and increase its functional value. Keywords: edible films; shelf-life; cheese; active packaging; whey protein concentrate; storage temperature 1. Introduction Traditional Iranian white cheese has a soft texture and sour taste. This type of cheese is produced without dry curd salting or slime development on the curd surface [1]. However, cheeses created from raw milk in artisan manufacturing may be matured for up to nine months, but cheeses made in industrial settings are ripened from 45 to 90 days [2,3]. Due to the possibility of cross-contamination from manual manufacturing procedures, the moisture content (50%–60%), the dynamic microbiological and suitable acidity conditions, Coatings 2023, 13, 1470. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13081470 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/coatings