Development of gelatin film deposited with carvacrol‐loaded fibers and its application to sea bass fillet preservation

Developing new methods to encapsulate fragile active compounds into packaging films is important for extending the shelf life of foods. In this study, the gelatin/fiber bilayer packaging film was fabricated by depositing carvacrol-loaded core–shell zein/polyvinyl pyrrolidone fibers on gelatin film. The tensile strength, elongation, oxygen transmission rate, and water vapor permeability of the gelatin/fiber film were 5.95 MPa, 56.63%, 63.27 ml/m2 d, 0.1 MPa, and 7.416 g·mm/m2 h kPa, respectively. The gelatin/fiber film was applied to sea bass fillet preservation. At day 8, the total viable count and thiobarbituric acid of the sea bass fillets treated with gelatin/fiber film were 8.12 log CFU/g and 0.73 mg MDA/kg, which were lower than that of the control group. Moreover, the gelatin/fiber film treatment showed the effect of delaying fish color change and pH increase, and prolonged the shelf life of sea bass fillets by 2–4 days. Novelty impact statement Gelatin film deposited with carvacrol-loaded core–shell fibers was prepared. Shelf life of Japanese sea bass fillets was extended by the gelatin/fiber film. The active bilayer film showed high antimicrobial and antioxidant activities.