Effects of active film based on chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol on the quality of refrigerated sea bass (Lateolabrax Japonicus) fillets

There has been a growing interest in employing active films for fish preservation due to the environmental concern of plastic packaging and the high perishability of fish. This work aimed to develop active films (CPB0.8) based on chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol integrated with ginger essential oil (GEO) -loaded bacterial cellulose, and to evaluate the preservation effect of the films on refrigerated sea bass fillets. Different active films were obtained by the solution blending method. It was evaluated by measuring microbiological indicators, physicochemical indexes, and water loss of sea bass fillets. The sample wrapped by CPB0.8 film had a lower microbial load after 12 days of storage. The results showed that the sample wrapped by CPB0.8 film had a lower microbial load after 12 days of storage compared to the active film sample without GEO and the control sample. Besides, the reduction of hardness and springiness of fillets packaged with CPB0.8 film was markedly inhibited. Additionally, the fillets wrapped by CPB0.8 film indicated a lower K-value (56.54%) under the rejection limit (60%) on the 10th day, which confirmed that CPB0.8 films extended the shelf-life of fillets to 10 days. Also, the active packaging could preserve fish quality by controlling water migration and lipid oxidation. Overall, these findings indicate that CPB0.8 films can be useful for the preservation of fish and effectively reduce petroleum-based plastics.