Development of essential oil-emulsion based coating and its preservative effects on common carp

Abstract Fish fillets are susceptible to microbial spoilage during chilled storage. Green consumerism promotes the development of biodegradable, recyclable and environmentally friendly food packaging. The study selected three essential oils (EOs), i.e. thyme, oregano and pimento EO, with good antibacterial activity, to develop an EO-emulsion based alginate coating. A stable alginate coating with good antibacterial effects could be prepared under optimized conditions of homogenization (18,000 rpm, 3 min) and EO/Tween-80 ratio (20:1, v/v). When loaded with 1% EO-emulsion, the coating showed good antibacterial effects with a high-value sensory assessment. No effect was found on the coating properties under different temperatures (4 and 20 °C) and pH conditions (6, 7 and 8). Alginate coatings with 1% thyme, oregano, pimento EO-emulsion were applied for chill-stored carp fillets. All coatings with EO-emulsion delayed pH change, decreased total volatile basic nitrogen and total viable count and inhibited Pseudomonas sp., H2S-producing bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae.