Effect of chitosan and lauric arginate edible coating on bacteriological quality, deterioration criteria, and sensory attributes of frozen stored chicken meat

Abstract This study was carried out to investigate the effect of using chitosan edible coating and lauric arginate (LAE) on the safety and quality of chicken drumsticks at two different temperatures. Six groups of chicken drumsticks were treated as follow: 20 g/kg chitosan at 25 °C (CH25) and 50 °C (CH50), 20 g/kg chitosan mixed with 20 g/kg lauric arginate at 25 °C (M25) and 50 °C (M50), and control untreated samples in DW at 25 °C (C25) and 50 °C (C50). All treated and control untreated chicken drumsticks were exposed to bacteriological, deterioration, and sensory examinations. The results revealed that all treated chicken drumsticks had a significant reduction in all investigated bacterial counts, pH, and thiobarbituric acid values accompanied by a significant improvement in all sensory attributes as compared with the control untreated samples. A better effect was obtained by incorporation of LAE into chitosan edible coat. In conclusion, the innovative combination of LAE and chitosan is a potential approach that can be used safely for successful decontamination of chicken carcasses and its cut-up parts at the poultry processing plants.