Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Effects of Kappa-Carrageenan Coatings Enriched with Cinnamon Essential Oil in Pork Meat

Fresh pork is susceptible to microbial contamination and lipid oxidation, which leads to food safety and quality issues. This study aimed to develop a kappa-carrageenan (KC) coating embedded with cinnamon essential oil (CEO) for antimicrobial and antioxidant purposes in pork meat. The uncoated controls and coated samples were subjected to microbial (total viable count, lactic acid bacteria, and H2S-producing bacteria), chemical (DPPH and pH), and physical (surface color) analyses during refrigerated storage at 4 °C for 7 days. It was observed that KC coatings exhibited a better preservation effect on pork meat after the addition of CEO. The KC–CEO coatings were effective in retarding the growth of total viable count, lactic acid bacteria, and H2S-producing bacteria. In a DPPH test, the level of lipid oxidation in pork meat was also significantly (p < 0.05) reduced by the KC–CEO coatings. Furthermore, these coatings displayed pronounced activity in inhibiting the adverse alterations of pH value and surface color. Practically, KC–CEO-coated samples still exhibited an attractive bright red color at the end of refrigerated storage. Taken together, the developed KC–CEO coatings exerted pronounced antimicrobial and antioxidant activities in pork, thus providing a potential approach to preserving perishable meat.