Microbiological quality of refrigerated chicken meat in contact with cellulose acetate : based film incorporated with nutmeg essential oil

Abstract

Antimicrobial packaging is a type of active packaging, it is used to retard or stop the growth of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms present in food. The purpose of our study is to prepare a biofilm (package) made from cellulose acetate incorporated with nutmeg essential oil (Myristica fragrans). The effect of this film on the microbial quality and PH of chicken breasts at refrigerated storage were studied. Cellulose acetate films with 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% nutmeg essential oil were prepared and used to wrap chicken breast samples and then stored for 1, 3 and 6 days. The films that contained 10% and 20% were not effective against the microorganisms in question. However, we have started to see effect against the pathogenic bacteria Salmonella at 30%, 40% and 50% where it was completely inhibited. In addition, the most effective films were the ones with 30%, 40% and 50% against Total Aerobic Count, S. aureus, fecal coliforms, Pseudomonas where the counts decreased significantly compared to the control (film with 0% nutmeg essential oil) during day 1, 3, and 6 after refrigerated storage. The PH of the chicken did not change significantly during our study.