Essential oil-based active polymer-based packaging system: A review of its effect on the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and sensory properties of beef and chicken meat

Meat is characterized by high perishability and a short shelf-life under improper storage. The evolution of food packaging in response to the growing need for clean-label technology has resulted in a sustainable, effective, safe, and natural method of prolonging the shelf-life of food using eco-friendly technologies. Active packaging presents a peculiar approach to preserving and packaging foods such as fresh and processed meat. They are composed of films and/or coatings obtained from natural sources of polysaccharides, lipids, and proteins that are edible, biodegradable, and can act as carriers of active ingredients from natural sources. Essential oils (EOs) are plant-extracted volatile aromatic compounds that have been the center of attention several types of research owing to their potential in food as natural additives and active ingredients with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Their utilization into biodegradable components for instance edible films to develop an active packaging system with enhanced functionalities and usefulness to the packaging and food industry is described. This review provides critical insights into the inclusion of EOs into bio-based materials with an emphasis on muscle food applications. Encapsulation was also emphasized as a key factor in optimizing the usage, stability, and efficiency of EOs in active packaging. The shelf-life of food is prolonged by the packaging system through preventing the actions of external aggressors such as oxygen and moisture, delaying the proliferation of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, slowing oxidative processes, and extending the duration that products are organoleptically acceptable. While cost and commercialization are the main concern for food industry professionals, consumers' main concerns are safety and awareness. In a nutshell, EO-based active packaging holds a lot of potential for shelf-life extension of meat and quality preservation. Novelty impact statement EO-based active packaging system has the potential to offer clean-label technology to consumers while alleviating food wastage and utilization of plastics by extending the shelf-life of food through eco-friendly processes. Encapsulation can improve the stability and effectiveness of EOs as antioxidants and antimicrobial agents, as well as address the challenges that have limited their application in the food system.