Effects of Green Coating on Quality Improvement of Chicken Fillets in Refrigeration Time

Effects of edible coatings, including sodium alginate (Alg), pullulan (Pul) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) with bitter orange peel extract (BOE), on the chemical, microbial and texture qualities of chicken fillets during storage in refrigerator was investigated.

Samples treated with biopolymer coatings with BOE included significantly lower free fatty acids, peroxide value, total volatile basic nitrogen content and microbial count during cold storage, compared to fillets treated with pure BOE, biopolymer composites (no BOE) and controls.

Effectiveness of the coatings on bacterial population was as follows Alg/Pul/BOE > Pul/CMC/BOE > Alg/CMC/BOE > BOE > Alg/Pul > Alg/CMC > Pul/CMC > control. Coating fillet samples with pure BEO showed greater inhibitory activities against microbial spoilage, compared with composite coatings with no extracts.

Treatment efficiency as of antimicrobial agents and maintenance of physicochemical characteristics were as follows Alg/Pul/BOE > Pul/CMC/BOE > Alg/CMC/BOE. Based on the current findings, these composite coatings can be promising options to improve the quality of fresh foods during shelf-life.