Electrospinning as a Promising Process to Preserve the Quality and Safety of Meat and Meat Products

Abstract

Fresh and processed meat products are staple foods worldwide. However, these products are considered perishable foods and their deterioration depends partly on the inner and external properties of meat. Beyond conventional meat preservation approaches, electrospinning has emerged as a novel effective alternative to develop active and intelligent packaging. Thus, this review aims to discuss the advantages and shortcomings of electrospinning application for quality and safety preservation of meat and processed meat products. Electrospun fibres are very versatile, and their features can be modulated to deliver functional properties such as antioxidant and antimicrobial effects resulting in shelf-life extension and in some cases product quality improvement. Compared to conventional processes, electrospun fibres provide advantages such as casting and coating in the fabrication of active systems, indicators, and sensors. The approaches for improving, stabilizing, and controlling the release of active compounds and highly sensitive, rapid, and reliable responsiveness, under changes in real-time are still challenging for innovative packaging development. Despite their advantages, the active and intelligent electrospun fibres for meat packaging are still restricted to research and not yet widely used for commercial products. Industrial validation of lab-scale achievements of electrospinning might boost their commercialisation. Safety must be addressed by evaluating the impact of electrospun fibres migration from package to foods on human health. This information will contribute into filling knowledge gaps and sustain clear regulations.

Development of functional active films from blend of gelatin with crude orange juice pomace pectin: Test for packaging of virgin olive oil

“…The addition of natural bioactive molecules into the film matrix may improve the antioxidant properties and its physicochemical and barrier proprieties, hence improving the food preservation properties 22 . Based on the antioxidant property of SOPP evidenced by the present study (Figure 2), the antioxidant potential of gelatin films incorporated with SOPP was assessed and the obtained results are given in Figure 6.…”

“…However, gelatin‐based films have some drawbacks, including poor water resistance, moisture barrier and low antioxidant/antibacterial properties 20 . To address these shortcomings, gelatin has been combined with other substances like chitosan, soybean polysaccharides and carboxymethyl cellulose to create advanced films with improved characteristics for practical packaging applications 19,21–23 …”

“…20 To address these shortcomings, gelatin has been combined with other substances like chitosan, soybean polysaccharides and carboxymethyl cellulose to create advanced films with improved characteristics for practical packaging applications. 19,[21][22][23] Recently, there have been emerging studies on incorporating several pectin extracts in enhancing gelatin-based films, 24 but their practical application as packaging material for preserving food quality is still limited. Oxidation is a primary factor that can negatively impact the sensory attributes and nutritional value of oily foods, leading to rancidity and decreased overall quality.…”

Recent Advances in Bio-Based Smart Active Packaging Materials

“…The electrostatic spinning technique allows the polymer to form nanofibers with a larger specific surface area when preparing nanocomplexes. The ability of natural polymers to load active substances can enable them to release the encapsulated compounds over a certain period of time, which, in practice, can effectively prevent the oxidation of the encapsulated food and avoid contamination by microorganisms [ 56 ]. It has been found that konjac glucomannan is a safe and edible polysaccharide but has some drawbacks in its application as a food active packaging film due to its strong hydrophilicity and lack of mechanical properties and gas barrier.…”

Natural Active Ingredients for Poly (Lactic Acid)-Based Materials: State of the Art and Perspectives

“…Many techniques, such as coacervation, nanoprecipitation, spray-drying, emulsification-solvent evaporation, ionic gelation, and electrochemical-based technologies, for the nanoencapsulation of bioactive compounds are available [ 171 ]. In recent years, several studies have highlighted the efficacy of electrospinning and electrospraying over the considered traditional encapsulation techniques [ 172 , 173 , 174 ]. Furthermore, these techniques are considered convenient due to the absence of heat for the thermal preservation of bioactive substances, and they are able to achieve high encapsulation efficiency values, ensuring the stability of compounds upon processing.…”