Production, antioxidant characterization and application of active starch-based films containing essential oils for beef packaging

Abstract

The objective of this work was to study the antioxidant activity of biodegradable and active packaging containing essential oils. Seven types of active packaging were produced. In beef, lipid oxidation was measured using the thiobarbituric acid reactive substance test (TBARS); a microbiological analysis in beef was performed for Salmonella spp., coagulate positive Staphylococcus spp., Clostridium sulphite reducer and E. coli; the measurements were carried out on days 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 in triplicate. All packaging had exhibited antioxidant capacities and acted as an antioxidant in meat. The packages containing clove exhibited the highest total phenolic and antioxidant capacity (P < 0.05), and when used in beef were most effective against lipid oxidation. The use of oregano, clove and rosemary incorporated in active biodegradable starch based reduced microbial development and acted effectively against rancidity by maintaining the quality of meat stored under refrigerated conditions for 15 days.

Assessing Consumers’ Preference and Loyalty towards Biopolymer Films for Food Active Packaging

“…Active packaging solutions can help reduce the amount of food waste by offering numerous functions related to food preservation, such as scavenging/releasing properties, temperature, microbiological and quality controls [23]; moisture control, prevention of oxidation, antimicrobial activity, and gas barrier properties extend the shelf-life of packaged foods and directly impact the sustainability of the food supply. Furthermore, in most cases of active films created, the active part was provided by the incorporation of various bioactive compounds such as plant extracts, phytochemicals, probiotic microorganisms, or enzymes [28,38,47,62,63]. Based on these arguments, we infer that: Hypothesis 2 (H 2 ).…”

“…Lipids are commonly used to reduce the hydrophilicity and diminish moisture loss; among the lipid components used in this sense are listed natural waxes [43], fatty acids [44], vegetable oils [45], or acetylated glycerides [46]. To improve the functionality of biopolymers, various active agents such as essential oils [27,28,47] or plant extracts [48,49] were introduced into the matrix, due to their antioxidant properties [50] and antimicrobial properties [51]. Nowadays, people pay attention to quality and safety, but also to the price of products.…”