Effects of bacterial cellulose/thyme essential oil emulsion coating on the shelf life of chilled chicken meat

ABSTRACT Background Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a fiber substance produced by microbial fermentation. It is widely used in the food preservation industry due to its extremely pure texture, high crystallinity, and high biocompatibility. In this paper, bacterial cellulose/thyme essential oil (BC/TEO‐E) with antibacterial and fresh‐keeping functions was prepared by ultrasonic treatment of modified bacterial cellulose for encapsulation of thyme essential oil, which effectively inhibited the spoilage of chilled chicken. Results The purified BC, produced by Acetobacter xylinum ATCC 53524, was ultrasonically treated wih different times (0, 30, 60, and 90 min). TEM, SEM, FTIR, XRD, DSC and Zeta potential were used to characterize the structure of BC after ultrasound, showing that BC, treated with 30 min, had the optimal fiber structure, crystallinity (85.8%), thermal stability (347.77 °C) and solution stability (−26.63 ± 1.96 mV). BC/TEO‐E was prepared by a homogenizer for the preservation of chilled chicken. Optical microscopy indicated that the BC/TEO‐E prepared by 0.5% BC had optimal dispersion and stability, even no delamination was observed in the emulsion. Compared with other groups (control, 0.5% BC, Tween‐E), the total number of colonies and coliforms in chilled chicken treated with 0.5% BC/TEO‐E was the lowest during whole storage period (12 d), indicating that it can effectively inhibit bacterial growth. In addition, TVB‐N, TBARS, pH, and drip loss results showed that 0.5% BC/TEO‐E could effectively inhibit the spoilage of chilled chicken compared with other treatment groups. Conclusion All the results acquired indicate that BC/TEO‐E has a potential application in chilled chicken preservation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.