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The study investigates four paper-based materials designed for short-time wrapping of meat products by determining morpho-structure, capillary-hydroscopic, barrier and antibacterial properties, wettability and migration into food simulants. The paper-based materials are coded as RO, SP, IT and SLO. RO and SLO samples exhibit the best barrier properties against water vapors. The low solubility and contact angles of RO, IT and SLO in A simulant (distilled water) make them suitable for aqueous food storage. The extremely high solubility of SP and SLO in simulant B (acetic acid) shows that wax and hydrophobized starch, respectively are carried by the acidic media, thus these agents are unlikely to coat the paper designed to package acidic food. SLO inhibits E. coli, Salmonella enterica, Lysteria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and fluorescens. Polyethylene coated on RO and IT surface and wax impregnated on SP have a lower antimicrobial activity in comparison with hydrophobized starch coated on SLO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ricotta is a highly perishable cheese of which shelf‐life is strongly influenced by the properties of packages in which it is stored. Four plastic packages currently in use in Italy (IT), Romania (RO), Slovenia (SLO), and Spain (SP) are characterized in term of structure, barrier, and antimicrobial properties, and their efficiency in the ricotta storage at 4°C is assessed. Differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy analysis indicate that the IT and SP packages are made of low‐density polyethylene and the RO and SLO packages consist of polyethylene and polyamide 6. Permeability to the water vapour and oxygen transmission rate vary as follows: IT>SLO > RO > SP and SP > IT>RO > SLO, respectively. The SP package expressed the highest antimicrobial inhibition whilst the IT package the lowest. The maximum amounts of volatile compounds in cheese were reached after 3 days in the IT and SP packages and after 6 days in the SLO and RO packages. The score 2.8 for cheese overall acceptability was exceeded after 7 days in the IT, RO, and SP packages and 6 days in the SLO package. Barrier properties of packages significantly influence the shelf‐life of ricotta. Low barrier properties resulted in high level of oxygen and water vapours inside the headspace of packages ultimately favour the microbial development. The simultaneous compliance of microbiological safety level and overall acceptability score gives ricotta a shelf‐life of 3 days in the IT, RO, and SP packages and 1 day in the SLO package. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]