Expanding the shelf life of chicken fillets by the use of polylactic acid (PLA) active films: An investigation of orange oil antibacterial potential

In this study, orange oil was incorporated into biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) at various concentrations (1.25%, 1.875%, 2.5%, and 3.75% w/v) to develop potential antimicrobial food packages. Increasing orange oil concentration caused a gradual increase in the films' opacity values, making them more appropriate for packaging of foods having a potential to be affected from UV-light. Independent of orange oil concentration, the water vapor permeability of the films decreased. While orange oil incorporation did not alter thermal stability of the active films, a slight reduction in glass transition and melting temperature values was observed. The antimicrobial activity of the films was examined on the most common food-borne pathogens (E. coli, S. aureus), and it is only the film containing 3.75% w/v (PLA_3) that showed an inhibitory activity on both microorganisms. Finally, the shelf life of the chicken fillets packed with neat PLA (PLA_0) and PLA_3 films was compared, and PLA_3 increased the shelf life up to day-9.