Biodegradable films withBrassica Oleracea Capitataextract as a quality indicator in sheep meat

Abstract

The development of smart biodegradable films emerges as an alternative capable of indicating the correlation between the pH of a product and the color changes related to the degradation processes. Therefore, the aim of this investigation was to develop smart biodegradable films using biopolymers, green banana starch, gelatin, alginate, and red cabbage extract as a quality indicator in sheep meat. The polymeric indicator films were prepared from three formulations: (I) 2% starch + 0.5 grams of glycerol + 5% of red cabbage extract; (II) 2% starch + 2% gelatin + 0.7 grams of glycerol + 5% red cabbage extract; (III) 1.5% alginate + 0.5% starch + 2% gelatin + 1% glycerol + 15% red cabbage extract and evaluated for light sensitivity, swelling index, water vapor transmission, and pH activation. The films showed changes in hydrophilicity according to their formulation. In addition, the alginate/starch/gelatin formulation added with 15% of red cabbage extract showed the highest swelling rate (91.30%), activation of water vapor transmission (5.3 g mm m²/h/Pa), and pH, in addition to activation in sheep meat the formulation with the best potential as a pH indicator package. Thus, smart biodegradable films with red cabbage extract have high biodegradability and allow consumers to choose a product with higher preservation quality. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The deterioration of food is directly related to changes in the pH of the product, therefore, the use of smart biodegradable films incorporated with plant extracts, such as red cabbage, appears as an excellent alternative for the consumer to detect changes in the product. In this investigation, the use of natural polymers, starch, and alginate performed well in the production of films with plant extract. Therefore, the application of biodegradable polymers and red cabbage extract in the development of intelligent films, emerges as a new approach of satisfactory potential for insertion in the market, being a viable alternative for application in the food industry, with regard to the quality and conservation of food matrices.