Locust Bean Gum/κ-Carrageenan Film Containing Blueberry or Beetroot Extracts as Intelligent Films to Monitoring Hake...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Materials Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Monitoring fish freshness is crucial for food safety and reducing waste.
• Current methods for assessing fish quality can be destructive or time-consuming.
• Development of non-destructive, real-time freshness indicators is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop eco-friendly, intelligent films for monitoring European hake freshness.
• To utilize bio-based materials like locust bean gum (LBG)/κ-carrageenan (Car) with natural colorants.
• To evaluate the films' visual response to fish deterioration during storage.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of LBG/Car films incorporating blueberry extract (BLE) or beetroot extract (BEE).
• Incorporation of films into packaging for European hake stored at 4 °C for 7 days.
• Monitoring changes in film color and correlating them with key quality indicators: pH, total viable count (TVC), and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N).

Main Results:

• BLE-incorporated films exhibited a visual color change from pink to blue during hake storage.
• This color change correlated with significant increases in pH, TVC, and TVB-N, indicating spoilage.
• The observed changes exceeded established spoilage thresholds for European hake.

Conclusions:

• Intelligent bio-based films with BLE show potential as effective, visual freshness indicators for European hake.
• These films offer a non-destructive, real-time method for quality assessment.
• The technology could contribute to reducing food waste and enhancing food safety in the seafood industry.