Preservation of fresh chicken breast by edible sodium alginate coating containing cinnamon essential oil microcapsules

Abstract The sodium alginate (SA) edible coating containing cinnamon essential oil microcapsules (CEOM) was produced to extend the shelf life of fresh chicken breast. The microcapsules, with a core/wall ratio of 1:4, achieved a maximum encapsulation efficiency of 72.21% and an average particle size of 4.73 μm. Hydrogen bonding was identified as the primary interaction between cinnamon essential oil (CEO) and gum Arabic. CEOM demonstrated excellent storage stability at 4°C for 7 days and exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphyloccocus aureus, with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 10.000 and 5.000 mg/mL, respectively. Incorporating CEOM into SA coatings could reduce weight loss, pH changes, total viable counts, and total volatile base nitrogen levels. The SA-CEOM-3.0 coating extended the shelf life of chicken breasts to 3 days, maintaining desirable texture, odour, and overall acceptability. These findings reveal that SA-CEOM coatings are a promising antibacterial solution for meat preservation.