Evaluation Dangke Cheese Processing by Edible Film Coating Made from Whey Combined with Konjac Flour

Dangke cheese (DC) is a traditional cheese from Enrekang Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The functional dangke cheese (FDC) was developed from DC with product diversification to obtain new cheese variants. FDC is hard cheese (HC) through fermentation, ripening, and coating processes. Therefore, the EF becomes an alternative for coating HC because it can maintain product mass, shelf life, and flavor. This study is aimed at determining edible film (EF) characteristics and analyzing EF’s prospects in coating HC. The research method was conducted in two stages. The first stage was to make a whey base EF solution with 1%, 1.5%, and 2% KF. The EF was analyzed using a randomized complete block design. The analysis result of whey-based EF combined with KF was then conducted in the second stage of the research by applying HC produced in the laboratory and then stored for 0, 10, 20, and 30 days, respectively. Physical tests such as pH and organoleptic were carried out using factorial pattern group randomized design analysis. The results of the first stage of the study showed that EF from whey combined with KF had a very significant effect (P < 0.01) on EF parameters (gelation time, thickness, extensibility, tensile strength, and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR)). The results of the second stage of the study showed that EF applied to HC using different storage lengths had a significant effect (P < 0.01) on color and liking but no significant effect (P > 0.05) on pH and texture parameters. Meanwhile, HC without EF coating has a significant impact (P < 0.01) on texture and color parameters but no significant effect (P > 0.05) on pH, aroma, and liking. 1.5% KF in an EF formulation is the best. HC coated with EF was more durable (20 days) than HC without EF (10 days).