Chitosan‐based nanofibers as bioactive meat packaging materials

Abstract

Shelf life and safety of minimally processed food are crucial for both consumers and the food industry. This study investigates the in vitro and in situ efficiency of electrospun chitosan‐based nanofibers (CNFs) as inner part of a multilayer packaging in maintaining the quality of unprocessed red meat. Activated CNF‐based packaging (CNFP) were obtained by direct electrospinning of chitosan/poly(ethylene oxide) solutions on top of a conventional multilayer food packaging. The electrospinning solutions were firstly characterized at the molecular level, mainly in terms of zeta potential and viscoelastic properties, and the evolution of the conformational structure was correlated to the nanofiber formation process. The oxygen and water vapor barrier properties of CNF‐based (CNFP) meat packaging were also investigated. The in vitro antibacterial activity of CNFs was determined against Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria innocua, bacteria commonly incriminated in the alteration of food products. The efficiency of the CNFP materials against meat spoilage by E. coli was also assessed. Our results indicate that the electrospinning of CS is a multifactorial process and fiber formation requires the choice of a good solvent, high electrical conductivity, moderate surface tension, optimum viscoelastic properties, and sufficient chain flexibility and entanglement. The results also indicate that all the tested bacterial strains were significantly sensitive to the action of CNFs. The in situ bioactivity against E. coli showed the potential of CNFP as bioactive nanomaterial barriers to meat contamination by extending the shelf life of fresh meat up to 1 week.

Shelf Life Assessment of Fresh Poultry Meat Packaged in Novel Bionanocomposite of Chitosan/Montmorillonite Incorporated with Ginger Essential Oil

“…Biodegradable bioactive food packaging has aroused considerable interest to extend shelf life and guarantee safety of perishable food susceptible to microbial alteration [5]. Through this approach, the industry is capable of overcoming its three currently big problems or concerns: reduce food spoilage and food poisoning [5]; attend to the consumer's demand for "healthier" and less chemically modified products [3]; and reduce the disposal problem created through the growth of demand and use of petroleum-based plastic materials [6], as biodegradable biopolymers are a more environmentally friendly alternative.…”

“…Biodegradable bioactive food packaging has aroused considerable interest to extend shelf life and guarantee safety of perishable food susceptible to microbial alteration [5]. Through this approach, the industry is capable of overcoming its three currently big problems or concerns: reduce food spoilage and food poisoning [5]; attend to the consumer's demand for "healthier" and less chemically modified products [3]; and reduce the disposal problem created through the growth of demand and use of petroleum-based plastic materials [6], as biodegradable biopolymers are a more environmentally friendly alternative. In active packaging technology, bioactive substances are incorporated into the system to enhance the quality and to extend the shelf life of products, e.g., meat [7], through three different methods, namely: by direct incorporation of active compounds into the polymeric matrix; as edible films and coatings with bioactive substances; and as activated sachet, patch or tablet [8].…”

Effect of chitosan‐propolis edible coatings on stability of refrigerated cachama (Piaractus brachypomus) vacuum‐packed fish fillets

“…Various food‐grade substances have been added to provide functionality to edible coatings: preservatives (essential oils), flavourings (plant extracts), and vitamins (α‐tocopherol), amongst others . In this context, the use of additives from natural sources containing bioactive substances (antimicrobials and antioxidants), incorporated in edible coatings of food‐grade polymers, such as chitosan, results especially interesting for fresh fishery products and animal‐origin foods in general …”

“…4 In this context, the use of additives from natural sources containing bioactive substances (antimicrobials and antioxidants), incorporated in edible coatings of food-grade polymers, such as chitosan, results especially interesting for fresh fishery products and animal-origin foods in general. [5][6][7][8] Propolis is a resinous substance, made by Apis mellifera and other social bee species from the exudates of plants. Its function is to protect the hive against mechanical damage and pathogens.…”

Electrospun Functional Materials toward Food Packaging Applications: A Review

“…As mentioned above, chitosan is a natural antibacterial polymer, so it has attracted numerous attentions for the food packaging industry. Arkoun et al [150] firstly studied the antibacterial potential of electrospun chitosan-based nanofibers (CNF) by storing with the actual foods, and further investigated its ability to reduce spoilage and food loss. They successfully obtained highly antibacterial CNF-based packaging (CNFP) materials by direct electrospinning.…”