Assessment of Cumin Essential Oil-Loaded Nanoemulsions for Shelf-Life Enhancement of Indian Cottage Cheese

Cumin essential oil (CEO), owing to its antimicrobial properties, can be instrumental in combating the surge in microbial counts on the surface of cottage cheese to some extent, thereby delaying food deterioration. To overcome limitations such as low solubility in water, intense taste/aroma, high volatility, etc., 5% w/w CEO is encapsulated in the form of nanoemulsions (CEO-NEs) following a high-energy ultrasonication method using nonionic surfactants and sodium alginate (SA) as emulsifiers and stabilizers, respectively. The z-average diameters of CEO-NE1 (without SA) and CEO-NE2 (with SA) were 59.15 ± 2.38 and 94.87 ± 11.24 nm, respectively, with encapsulation efficiencies of 95.10 ± 0.18% and 94.33 ± 1.19%. CEO-NE1 and CEO-NE2 demonstrated a 42–80% and 39–60% release of CEO, respectively, in 12–24 h in different environments. The application of CEO-NE1 and CEO-NE2 on paneer samples was assessed based on microbiological studies and sensory evaluation, which resulted in positive outcomes indicating the preservative action of encapsulated CEO.