Caraway Essential Oil Nanoparticles in Prolonged Stability and Sensory Improvement of Fresh Pork Sausages

Caraway essential oil (CEO) and chitosan-based nanoparticles incorporating CEO (CNPs CEO) were evaluated as natural preservatives for fresh pork sausages stored at +4 °C for five days. The chemical composition of CEO was characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC/FID); carvone (92.5%) and limonene (5.8%) were identified as dominant components. Eight experimental treatments were applied: control, CEO at 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 mg/g, chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs), and CNPs CEO at 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 mg/g. Encapsulation efficiency of CEO in chitosan nanoparticles was 67.7 ± 1.91%. Microbiological quality (total bacterial count (TBC), lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and moulds), lipid oxidation (TBARS), pH, and sensory attributes of raw and thermally processed sausages were monitored throughout storage. CEO reduced microbial growth and lipid oxidation in a concentration-dependent manner, while CNPs CEO formulations showed markedly superior performance. The CNPs CEO 0.6 mg/g treatment achieved the greatest inhibitory effect on all microbiological parameters, reducing TBC for 1.6 log CFU/g and limiting lipid oxidation, yielding final malondialdehyde values of 1.15 mg MDA/kg, approximately 50% lower than the control (2.18 mg MDA/kg). Sensory evaluation indicated that CNPs CEO-treated sausages maintained acceptable colour, odour, juiciness, texture, and overall acceptability throughout the storage period. The sample treated with CNPs CEO 0.6 mg/g remained above the acceptability level for all analyzed parameters for 5 days of storage, while the control became unacceptable for lipid oxidation on the fifth day and sensory unacceptable after the third day. These findings demonstrate that the application of CNPs CEO in sausage production enhances their stability, shelf life, and sensory characteristics, indicating a promising no-additive strategy in the industrial production of fresh pork sausages.