KUALITAS FISIKOKIMIA DAN MIKROBIOLOGIS KEJU MOZZARELLA SELAMA PENYIMPANAN DINGIN DENGAN METODE PENGEMASAN YANG BERBEDA

Abstract

Keju mozzarella merupakan produk olahan susu dengan kadar air tinggi sehingga mudah mengalami penurunan mutu selama penyimpanan. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis pengaruh metode pengemasan (vakum dan non vakum) dan lama penyimpanan (0, 7, 14, 21 hari) terhadap kualitas fisikokimia dan mikrobiologis keju mozzarella. Penelitian menggunakan Rancangan Acak Lengkap Faktorial 2×4 dengan tiga ulangan. Parameter yang diamati meliputi pH, aktivitas air (aw), tekstur, Total Asam Tertitrasi (TAT), Total Plate Count (TPC), serta angka kapang khamir (AKK). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa lama penyimpanan berpengaruh nyata (P<0,05) terhadap pH, TAT, TPC, AKK, sedangkan metode pengemasan berpengaruh nyata (P<0,05) terhadap TPC dan AKK. Nilai pH menurun dan TAT meningkat selama penyimpanan, sedangkan nilai aw relatif stabil. Jumlah mikroorganisme meningkat seiring waktu penyimpanan, dengan kemasan non vakum menunjukkan jumlah mikroba lebih tinggi dibandingkan kemasan vakum. Pada kemasan non vakum tumbuh kapang di permukaan keju. Kemasan vakum mampu mempertahankan kualitas fisik, kimia, dan mikrobiologis keju mozzarella.

Mozzarella cheese is a dairy product with a high moisture content, making it prone to quality deterioration during storage. This study aimed to analyze the effects of packaging type (vacuum and non-vacuum) and storage duration (0, 7, 14, and 21 days) on the physicochemical and microbiological quality of mozzarella cheese. The study used a 2×4 factorial completely randomized design with three replicates. The parameters observed included pH, water activity (aw), texture, total titratable acidity (TTA), total plate count (TPC), and mold and yeast count (MYC). The results showed that storage duration had a significant effect (P<0.05) on pH, TAT, TPC, and MFC, while packaging type had a significant effect (P<0.05) on TPC and MFC. pH decreased and TAT increased during storage, while water activity (aw) remained relatively stable. The number of microorganisms increased with storage time, with non-vacuum packaging showing a higher microbial count compared to vacuum packaging. Mold grew on the surface of the cheese in non vacuum packaging. Vacuum packaging was able to maintain the physical, chemical, and microbiological quality of mozzarella cheese.