The Influence of Biodegradable Food Films on Freshness Indices of Semi-Finished Meat Products

Barrier storage technologies are a promising means of increasing the shelf life of meat products, in particular, food wrap. The authors developed an edible food film with antioxidant and antibacterial properties and tested its efficiency in storage of semi-finished meat products. The formula includes nutrients available for industrial production: structure-forming polysaccharide nature-agar-agar, thickener, stabilizer, antioxidant-arabinogalactan, plasticizer-food glycerin, and universal solvent-distilled water. The food film was produced by extrusion dosing of bulk components and distilled water. Then suspended mixture of agar-agar and arabinogalactan was prepared, followed by preparation of film-forming mixture. The film was blown through a narrow slit head of the extruder; after that it was cooled, calibrated, and dried. The films appeared to have a thickness that varied from 28.5 to 54.0 microns, depending on the concentration of the basic prescription components. The thickest film (54 µm) was observed in the sample with the maximum agar content (2%); an increase in the concentration of arabinogalactan in the film solution contributes to the film thickening to a lesser extent (47.1 µm). An increase in the glycerol content of the film formulation to 2% allowed the authors to obtain a film with a minimum thickness (28.5 microns). An increase in agar concentration raises the tensile strength to 36.2 MPa and elongation at break to 29.2%. However, with an increase in glycerol content, these indicators deteriorate to 25.3 MPa (24.6%). High structural and mechanical properties of the film and a high degree of decomposition were observed in the film sample with 2% agar-agar content. As an antimicrobial component, a liquid extract of chamomile flowers was introduced into the film. On the basis of the conducted organoleptic, physico-chemical, and microbiological studies, packaging of semi-finished meat products in a biodegradable film helps to increase their shelf life.