THE CHARACTERIZATION OF PAPER COATED WITH ESSENTIAL OILS AND THE EVALUATION OF ITS USE IN THE PACKAGING OF BEEF

Abstract

Background. Active packaging improves the microbial safety and sensory properties of food, extending shelf life of the stored product. Raw beef is an example of food prone to microbial contamination. Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli are commonly found in raw meat, and their presence can lead to food poisoning of consumers worldwide. Cellulose paper is commonly used to wrap raw meat. Active paper can be obtained by coating the paper with antimicrobial agents. Plant-derived essential oils can act as a natural preservative. The aim of the study is the characterization of paper coated with cinnamon bark essential oil, cinnamon leaf essential oil and clove essential oil, as well as the evaluation of its use in packing raw beef. Results and conclusion. Coating paper with cinnamon bark essential oil and clove essential oil changed the color of paper to yellow and white compared to the blue and white colors of the control sample and paper enriched with cinnamon leaf essential oil. Coating the paper affected its structure. Essential oils penetrated the voids in the paper and filled the pores. Wrapping raw beef in the coated paper reduced the growth of Listeria innocua and E. coli during refrigerated storage. Wrapping beef in the coated paper did not affect the beef color during 72-hour storage. The results obtained indicate the possibility of using paper coated with essential oils as active packaging for raw beef