Antimicrobial Activity of Carboxymethyl Cellulose Films Containing Plantaricin W and Enterocin F4-9 for Meat...

Antimicrobial food packaging is considered a promising technology to improve food safety by inhibiting or reducing the growth of food microorganisms and minimizing the need for preservatives. This study aimed to develop and evaluate carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) films integrated with bacteriocins for antibacterial efficacy. Plantaricin W was assessed as a potential bacteriocin for activation of CMC to control the dangerous food-borne pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes. Minced beef samples were inoculated with L. monocytogenes ATCC BAA-679 and treated with plantaricin W-activated food packaging. The results showed a significant reduction of the target pathogen by approximately 1 log cycle compared to the control group. Enterocin F4-9 is a novel bacteriocin that acts on Gram-negative microbes that were not affected by plantaricin W. Therefore, a novel food packaging activated with plantaricin W and enterocin F4-9 was developed to broaden their antimicrobial activity. The effect of this film on meat-associated microbes was investigated. The results demonstrated that the film significantly reduced the counts of mesophilic and psychotropic bacteria by 86.67% and 96.67%, respectively. Additionally, the pH values of the treated meat samples were significantly lower than those of the untreated controls. The obtained findings indicated that bacteriocin-activated CMC films could potentially be utilized as antimicrobial packaging in modern food technology.