Natural-based edible nanocomposite coating for beef meat packaging.

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Essential oils (EOs) show promise for food preservation but face limitations in packaging applications.
• Encapsulation systems combined with nanoparticles (NPs) offer solutions to enhance EO stability and efficacy.
• Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are a viable system for encapsulating EOs in active food packaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a novel bioactive coating for beef preservation using NLCs and NPs.
• To evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of the developed coating.
• To assess the effectiveness of the coating in extending the shelf life of beef products.

Main Methods:

• Optimized NLC formulation for savory EO encapsulation, focusing on size, zeta potential, and loading rate.
• Created composite coatings with varying NLC concentrations and incorporated ZnO NPs.
• Assessed antimicrobial activity via well-diffusion assays and evaluated coating performance on beef over 12 days.

Main Results:

• Achieved high EO loading (71.4%) and encapsulation efficiency (>98.7%) in NLCs.
• The optimal coating (CMC-OM-ZnO NPs-NLCs 3.4%) significantly inhibited microbial growth (over 1.6 log CFU/g reduction).
• Demonstrated significant reductions in pH, thiobarbituric acid value (TBA), and total volatile nitrogen (TVN) compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• The developed bioactive packaging enriched with lipidic (NLCs) and inorganic (ZnO NPs) nanomaterials effectively enhances microbial and oxidative stability of beef.
• This innovative approach offers a promising strategy for improving the safety and shelf life of meat products.
• The study highlights the potential of nanotechnology in creating advanced active food packaging solutions.