Prolonging shelf life of chicken breast fillets by using plasma-improved chitosan/low density polyethylene bilayer film containing summer savory essential oil.

Abstract Cold plasma assay was potentially useful persuade surface modification. In this study, antimicrobial properties of chitosan and low density polyethylene bilayer film with method cold plasma incorporated with summer savory essential oil (SEO) (1, 2 and 3%) for extending shelf life of chicken breast fillets was investigated. Moreover, mechanical and physical properties of film were assessed. Result showed that plasma treatment could improvement properties film and increase shelf life processing. After plasma treatment chitosan/polyethylene film containing 3% summer savory essential oil decreased water vapor permeability and oxygen transmission rate chitosan film. Addition of summer savory essential oil to the two-layer film, also improved tensile strength and elongation at break of film. The bilayer film with 3% of essential oil treatment cold plasma was chosen for microbial analysis during storage. All samples plasma-treated, films for this study included polyethylene (PE), bilayer of polyethylene and chitosan (PE/Ch) and Chitosan containing essential oil in direct contact (D) and gas phase (G). Result showed that shelf life of fillets were extended in direct contact and gas phase treatments to 13 days at refrigerator. It was 6 days for polyethylene and 8 days for Chitosan treatments. Essential oil incorporated film also decreased thiobarbitoric acid value of sample during storage. Cold plasma has a high potential in active packaging and food preservation.