Carvacrol-enriched chitosan/berry wax active films via Pickering emulsion: a sustainable solution for extending meat...

This study developed a functional and sustainable active chitosan/berry wax (CT/BW) composite film by incorporating carvacrol essential oil (CO) via a Pickering emulsion (PE) strategy. The PE-20%CO emulsion exhibited excellent droplet stability, enabling the composite film to achieve enhanced thermal stability, opacity, and barrier performance. Mechanical and functional properties were concentration-dependent, with improvements at moderate CO loadings (5%-20%), while excessive CO (25%) slightly reduced tensile strength. The Pickering emulsion facilitated controlled CO release, contributing to potent antioxidant activity and broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Applied to rabbit meat, the optimized PE-20%CO film doubled its refrigerated (4 °C) predicted shelf-life to 14 days by suppressing microbial growth, lipid oxidation, and biochemical spoilage. These findings highlight the potential of PE-mediated essential oil delivery as a versatile, eco-friendly strategy for active packaging, offering a promising approach to extend the shelf life of highly perishable, nutrient-rich foods.