a b s t r a c t
In this work a study on the combined effects of chitosan and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) to
improve the microbiological quality of amaranth-based homemade fresh pasta is presented. In particular,
two different chitosan concentrations were combined to three different MAP conditions and tested
against the following spoilage microorganisms: mesophilic bacteria, Staphylococcus spp., yeasts, moulds
and total coliforms. Their viable cell concentrations were monitored for about 2 months at 4 C. Results
suggest that there is a combined effect between MAP and chitosan in delaying the microbial quality loss
of pasta during storage. Moreover, it was also found that among the tested MAP conditions, the
combination of 30:70 N2:CO2 is the most efficient, promoting an extension of the microbial acceptability
limit beyond two months.