Potential application of corn starch edible films with spice essential oils for the shelf life extension of red meat

Aim: To investigate the effect of corn starch (CS) edible films with spice oils on the stability of raw beef during refrigerated storage. Methods and Results: The antimicrobial properties of corn starch films containing 0-4.0% (w/v) ratios of clove (CL) and cinnamon (CI) essential oils (EOs) were tested against seven meat spoilage organisms by zone inhibition test. Effects of CS films containing 3% CL or CI or a mixture of CL + CI were also tested in raw beef stored at 4 degrees C. Meat samples were analysed for pH, microbial counts, colour values and Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values for a period of 15 days. CS films with CL + CI resulted in a significant reduction in microbial populations in the meat samples and also improved meat colour stability at the end of storage period. Conclusions: The incorporation of spice EOs in CS films may provide antimicrobial and antioxidant activities that could improve the stability of raw meat. Significance and Impact of the Study: Results from this study may be applied in meat industries as an additional barrier to control microbial spoilage as well as lipid oxidation in meat products.