Utilization of zein-based coatings containing vegetable oils on the physicochemical characteristics of vacuum-packaged lamb meat

Abstract

During the shelf-life of fresh meat, physical, chemical, microbiological, and sensory changes may occur. To avoid such changes, the combination of vacuum-packaging and use of edible coatings make a good strategy. This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of vacuum-packaged lamb meat combined with different zein-based edible coatings containing different vegetable oils (pink pepper, rosemary, olive oil, and the combinations of olive oil + pink pepper or rosemary), stored at 5 ± 1 °C. Parameters including pH, instrumental color, water holding capacity (WHC), shear force, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were analyzed every seven days, for 29 days. Significant differences (P<0.05) were observed in coating effects and storage time. The combination of olive oil and pepper oil (OLPP) exhibited higher color stability, while the coatings containing rosemary (RO), rosemary and olive oil (OLRO), and pink pepper oil (PP) exhibited the highest oxidative stability in 29 days. The pH, WHC, and shear force parameters did not appear to have been affected by the coatings. In summary, as appearance is an important purchasing factor, the coating containing olive oil and pink pepper oil is very promising as an alternative for maintaining vacuum-packaged lamb meat quality.