Abstract:
The aim of the present study was to investigate the structural and physicochemical properties of ultrasound treated ginger starch-based edible films incorporated with coconut shell liquid smoke (CSLS), and determine the inhibitory effect of the films against Escherichia coli O157:H7 in ground beef during the storage at 4 C. Ultrasound-treated CSLS-ginger starch films presented a better mechanical, barrier, thermal, and antibacterial properties. The antibacterial effect of CSLS against E. coli, S. aureus, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Enteritidis, and B. cereus increased significantly with ultrasound treatment. The CSLS-films showed antibacterial activity against E. coli O157:H7 without negatively affecting the sensory attributes of ground beef. The films containing 15% CSLS reduced E. coli O157:H7 populations by 1.33 log cfu/g in ground beef during the 12-day-storage. The CSLS-starch films effectively inhibited lipid oxidation in the ground beef samples during the refrigerated storage. These results indicated that ultrasound-treated CSLS-ginger starch film has the application potential as a novel antimicrobial active packaging for proteinous foods.