Abstract
Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhi) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) have been responsible for an increasing number of outbreaks linked to fresh produce, such as baby spinach leaves, in the last two decades. More recently, antimicrobial biodegradable packaging systems have been attracting much attention in the food packaging industry as eco-friendly alternatives to conventional plastic packaging. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of antibacterial nanocomposite films on inoculated spinach leaves and on the sensory properties of these leaves during eight days of refrigerated storage. In this study, an antibacterial film comprised of sweet potato starch (SPS), montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclays and thyme essential oil (TEO) as a natural antimicrobial agent was developed. Our results showed that the incorporation of TEO in the film significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the population of E. coli and S. Typhi on fresh baby spinach leaves to below detectable levels within five days, whereas the control samples without essential oil maintained approximately 4.5 Log colony forming unit (CFU)/g. The sensory scores for spinach samples wrapped in films containing TEO were higher than those of the control. This study thus suggests that TEO has the potential to be directly incorporated into a SPS film to prepare antimicrobial nanocomposite films for food packaging applications.
Highlights
The World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UnitedNation (FAO), and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) all recommend produce consumption for consumers due to the presence of high levels of micronutrients and fibers that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer [1]
The results of our study indicated that when thyme essential oil (TEO) was incorporated into the film matrix, the antimicrobial activity of TEO was maintained, but exhibited less antibacterial activity in films in comparison with pure essential oil
The extent to which this film enhanced the shelf life of baby spinach leaves stored at a refrigerated temperature during eight days was studied
Summary
Nation (FAO), and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) all recommend produce consumption for consumers due to the presence of high levels of micronutrients and fibers that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer [1]. The food safety of fresh produce is a matter of increasing concern because these foods usually receive minimal processing and are often consumed as a ready-to-eat product. In the U.S, there were more cases of foodborne illnesses associated with fresh produce than those involving seafood, poultry, beef, pork, or eggs [2]. Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Shigella spp. have been frequently associated with illness outbreaks related to the consumption of fresh produce, respectively [2]. Leafy greens have been responsible for one third of these same types of outbreaks [3]
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