Development of a moisture-activated antimicrobial film containing ground mustard seeds and its application on meat in active packaging system

An antimicrobial cellulose acetate film containing finely ground mustard seeds was developed. The effect of the film properties on the allyl isothiocyanates (AITC) formation and release into the headspace was investigated. Less porous structure and larger thickness caused slower moisture absorption and consequently a slower AITC formation and release rate. For its application in food, the film was tested on whether the concentration of AITC was sufficient to inhibit bacterial growth in ground beef with different fat contents. The AITC concentration for the low-fat ground beef was lower in the product and higher in the headspace compared to medium fat ground beef. The shelf life was extended by 3.7 and 0.6 days for low fat and medium fat ground beef respectively. Besides a novel way to control the compounds’ release to the packaging system, this study also shows the importance of the food composition for tailoring the effective active packaging. (150 words)