Antimicrobial Potential of Plastic Films Incorporated with Sage Extract on Chicken Meat

Development, characterization and application of starch-based film containing polyphenols of piper betle L. waste in chicken meat storage

The current study aimed to develop a sustainable solution to extend the shelf life of chicken meat by developing starch-based functional film embedded with polyphenolic extract of waste petioles of betel leaf (BLP). The results showed that loading of the extract significantly (p < 0.05) improved flexibility, thickness, water solubility, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and UV light protection ability by enhancing intermolecular interactions among potato starch, guar gum, and the extract. The developed film showed optimum mechanical and water barrier properties at a 4% BLP extract concentration computed through TOPSIS method (A multi-criteria decision-making approach). During the shelf life study, the extract embedded film maintained the quality of chicken meat for up to 12 days at refrigerated temperature. Biodegradation time of the extract-blended films was considerably decreased to 14 days from 28 days for the native film, indicating suitable alternative to non-biodegradable film for storing the raw meat.

The Effect of Temperature and Storage Duration on the Quality and Attributes of the Breast Meat of Hens after Their Laying Periods

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of temperature (2 °C and 6 °C) and storage duration on the quality and attributes of hens' breast meat after their laying periods. The study included physicochemical characteristics (pH, drip loss, colour, shear force), microbiological quality (total Enterobacteriaceae family and Pseudomonas count), and sensory quality. Bacterial identification was performed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The increased meat pH and drip loss was greater at 6 than 2 °C (p < 0.05). An increase in the tenderness of the meat stored at 6 °C was found as early as day 4, as well as at 2 °C on day 8 of storage (p < 0.05). On day 4 of storage, the meat was characterised by a darker colour than on the first day, but the darkening was greater at 6 °C than at 2 °C (p < 0.05). At 6 °C, on day 4 of storage, there was an increase in yellow saturation (b*) of the meat, which was higher at 6 °C than at 2 °C (p < 0.05). At 2 °C, the total bacterial count and number of Pseudomonas spp. in the meat gradually increased along with increasing storage duration, reaching 4.64 log cfu/g and 4.48 log cfu/g, respectively, on the 8th day of storage. At 6 °C, on the sixth day of storage, the total bacterial count in the meat exceeded 7 log cfu/g, considered the limit of microbiological safety. The meat stored at 2 °C had an acceptable sensory quality until the 8th day of storage. The study shows that storage at 2 °C preserves the sensory characteristics and microbiological safety of the hen meat longer at an acceptable level after the laying period. Extended storage life may be of importance to consumers and the meat industry.

Mono-frequency ultrasonic-assisted thawing of frozen goose meat: Influence on thawing efficiency, product quality and microstructure

This study aimed to investigate the influences of mono-ultrasound assisted thawing on the thawing efficiency, product quality and conformational characteristics of frozen goose meat. The thawing time, thawing loss, muscle quality, and microstructure of frozen goose meat were studied. The results displayed that ultrasonic-assisted thawing effectively reduced the thawing time by 45.37-57.58% compared with non-sonicated group, and significantly decreased the thawing loss. For the quality properties of goose meat tissue, ultrasound-assisted thawing with single-frequency of 50 kHz indicated a lower protein turbidity; meanwhile, hardness values were also significantly increased, and displayed a higher springiness, gumminess and chewiness of goose meat tissue. The microstructure analysis exhibited that the conformation of goose myofibrillar protein (MP) was modified following ultrasonic-assisted thawing, and became closer and more irregular. Therefore, ultrasound-assisted thawing treatments at 50 kHz mono-frequency (temperature 25℃) have a high potential application value in the thawing research of frozen goose meat, and lay a theoretical foundation for use in the meat process industries.

Functional Properties of Grapefruit Seed Extract Embedded Blend Membranes of Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Starch: Potential Application for Antiviral Activity in Food Safety to Fight Against COVID-19

The poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and starch-based polymeric films with a ratio of 2:8 were prepared using solution casting followed by a solvent evaporation method. Four types of membranes with varied concentrations of grapefruit seed extract (GSE) i.e., 2.5-10 wt% was incorporated in the films. The prepared membranes were assessed for transparency test, mechanical properties, surface morphology, permeability test for O2, and antimicrobial properties. The PVA/starch-10% GSE loaded film showed excellent mechanical properties showing highest 1344 ± 0.7% elongation at break but poor optical transparency with 53.8% to 68.61%. The Scanning Electron Microscopic study reveals the good compatibility between the PVA, Starch, and GSE. The gas permeability test reveals that the prepared films have shown good resistance to the O2 permeability 0.0326-0.316 Barrer at 20 kg/cm2 feed pressure for the prepared membranes showing excellent performance. By adding the little amount of GSE into the PVA/starch blend membranes showed promising antimicrobial efficacy against MNV-1. For 4 h. incubation, PVA/starch blend membranes containing 2.5%, 5%, and 10% GSE caused MNV-1 reductions of 0.92, 1.89, and 2.27 log PFU/ml, respectively. Similarly, after 24 h, the 5% and 10% GSE membranes reduced MNV-1 titers by 1.90 and 3.26 log PFU/ml, respectively. Antimicrobial tests have shown excellent performance to resist microorganisms. The water uptake capacity of the membrane is found 72% for the PVA/starch pristine membrane and is reduced to 32% for the 10% GSE embedded membrane. Since the current pandemic situation due to COVID-19 occurred by SARSCOV2, the prepared GSE incorporated polymeric blend films are the rays of hope in the packaging of food stuff.

Calcined Oyster Shell Powder as a Natural Preservative for Maintaining Quality of White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Simple Summary

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) indicated that the average global production of oyster shell waste for the year 2019 was 3.08 million tons. Many serious problems include the emission of displeasing odors and pollution of the seaside, which are harmful to the environment. Nonetheless, a solution for this issue would be to reuse the waste and produce a product that has economic benefits and solves the environmental problems. Using calcined oyster shells as a natural preservative might solve the problem of oyster shell waste. In this study, we used calcined oyster shell powder (COSP) as a natural preservative for improving shrimp shelf-life during 12 days under refrigerated conditions. As compared with the control, COSP treatment effectively retarded pH change, reduced the formation of total volatile basic nitrogen, and inhibited bacterial growth during refrigerated storage. The development of preservatives for aquatic products is expected to delay the growth of and spoilage by microorganisms in the refrigerated state, thus providing more barrier protection for aquatic food safety.

Abstract

Oyster shell waste has led to many problems, including displeasing odors, pollution of the seaside, and harm to the environment. Using calcined oyster shells as a natural preservative might solve the problem of oyster shell waste. We studied the use of calcined oyster shell powder (COSP) as a natural preservative for improving shrimp shelf-life over 12 days under refrigerated conditions. As compared with the control, COSP treatment effectively retarded pH change, reduced the formation of total volatile basic nitrogen, and inhibited bacterial growth during refrigerated storage. In addition, shrimp muscle lipid oxidation measured by peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) was decreased during storage. The quality was preserved up to 12 days with 2.0–4.0% COSP treatment as compared with only 6 days for un-treated shrimp. The development of preservatives for aquatic products is expected to delay growth of and spoilage by microorganisms in the refrigerated state, thus providing more barrier protection for aquatic food safety.