INTRODUCTION
Among the fundamental principles of raw materials
and foods quality are their safety, sustainability, and
long-term nutritional value [1, 2, 14].
One of the promising directions in addressing the
global pollution of human habitat by polymer waste is
to create environmentally safe packaging [3, 4]. Much
attention is paid to the development of biodegradable and
edible packaging materials which simplify product dosing
and portioning without polluting the environment [5–7].
Using natural polymers – polysaccharides – as a
film-forming basis is highly promising in the production
of biodegradable coatings. Polysaccharide-based films
protect raw materials and food products from mass loss
(due to reduced moisture evaporation rate) and from the
penetration of oxygen and other substances. As a result,
it slows down the changes in the product quality [8, 9].
Films based on microbial polysaccharides are not yet
sufficiently used in national economies. They have lower
barrier and mechanical properties (resistance to high
product and environment moisture) than polymeric films.
But their main advantage is that they do not pollute the
environment because they are biodegradable [10].
In this regard, it is highly relevant to develop
environmentally safe biodegradable coating for meat
raw materials using exopolysaccharides of bacterial
origin. Our aim was to study sensory, physicochemical,
and microbiological parameters, as well as environmental
safety and storage time of meat and fish
raw materials packed in biodegradable film based on
exopolysaccharide of bacterial origin (xanthan).
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Giro T.M. et al. Foods and Raw Materials, 2020, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 67–75
STUDY OBJECTS AND METHODS
The objects of our study were xanthan (France),
chilled pork, and pond carp. Pigs were slaughtered at
“Products of the Volga Region” meat processing plant
in accordance with the requirements of the Technical
Regulations of the Customs Union on safety of meat
and meat products (TR CU 034/2013I). Carcasses were
cut in accordance with State Standard 31778-2012II.
Pork meat (m. longissimus dorsi) was cut into portions
(20–40 g) and packed in biodegradable xanthanbased
film. Unpackaged raw materials were used as
control samples. As for fish, we used freshly dead
pond carp yearlings (90–110 g) grown at the Fish
Cultivation Laboratory at Saratov State Agrarian
University. Experimental fish samples were packed in
a biodegradable film, while unpacked fish was used as
a control. A film coating was made according to the
method described in the Patent of the Russian Federation
No. 2662008C1 “Biodegradable food film coating” [11].
Mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic
microorganisms in pork and carp were determined
according to State Standard 10444.15-94III on meat-andpepton
agar (MPA). Coliform bacteria were determined
according to State Standard 31747-2012IV on Kessler
and Endo media. Salmonella was determined according
to State Standard 31659-2012V, using non-selective
enrichment medium (buffered pepton water), selective
enrichment medium (RVS broth), and differential
diagnostic media (bismuth-sulfite agar and Endo agar).
L. monocytogenes lysteria were determined according to
State Standard 32031-2012VI, using PBL1, PBL2 (Listeria
enrichment broth), and agar listeria Ottaviani-Agosti
(ALOA-agar). Proteus bacteria in pork were determined
according to State Standard 28560-90VII on agar for
Proteus release, and staphylococcus in carp, according
to State Standard 31746-2012VIII, using sodium chloride
broth and salt-egg yolk agar.
To determine pork freshness, we selected
experimental samples (packed in biodegradable film)
and control (unpacked) samples stored at 0–4°C. The
I TR TS 034/2013. Tekhnicheskiy reglament Tamozhennogo soyuza
“O bezopasnosti myasa i myasnoy produktsii” [TR CU 034/2013
Technical regulations of the Customs Union “On safety of meat and
meat products”]. 2013. 108 p.
II State Standard 31778-2012. Meat. Dressing of pork into cuts.
Specifications. Moscow: Standartinform; 2014. 16 p.
III State Standard 10444.15-94. Food products. Methods for
determination of quantity of mesophilic aerobes and facultative
anaerobes. Moscow: Standartinform; 2010. 6 p.
IV State Standard 31747-2012. Food products. Methods for detection
and quantity determination of coliformes. Moscow: Standartinform;
2013. 16 p.
V State Standard 31659-2012. Food products. Method for detection of
Salmonella spp. Moscow: Standartinform; 2014. 21 p.
VI State Standard 32031-2012. Food products. Methods for detection
of Listeria monocytogenes. Moscow: Standartinform; 2014. 28 p.
VII State Standard 28560-90. Food products. Method for detection
of bacteria of Proteus, Morganella, Providencia genera. Moscow:
Standartinform; 2010. 6 p.
VIII State Standard 31746-2012. Food products. Methods for detection
and quantity determination of coagulase-positive staphylococci and
Staphylococcus aureus. Moscow: Standartinform; 2013. 22 p.
selection was carried out according to State Standard
7269-79IX. The pork samples were sent to the production
laboratory. Each sample was wrapped in parchment
paper and numbered. Chilled raw materials were stored
at 0–2°C. Changes in acid and peroxide numbers, as
well as thiobarbituric value, indicated the processes
occurring in the lipid fraction during storage.
Toxic lead and cadmium were determined by the
method of the Scientific Council on Analytical Methods
450xs (Methodological Guidelines 4.1.986-00X).
Mass fraction of antibiotics was determined by
an express-method based on antibiotic suppression
of dehydrogenase activity of testing cultures in a
liquid nutrient medium (Methodological Guidelines
4.2.026-95XI).
Water-binding capacity (WBC) was determined by
pressing method on filter paper by Grau-Hamm modified
by Volovinska-Kelman [12].
Acid and peroxide numbers were determined
according to standard methods of Gorbatov All-Russia
Meat Research Institute to assess the quality and safety
of meat and meat products.
Thiobarbituric index was determined according to
the Sidwell method modified by Turner.
Concentration of hydrogen ions was determined by
potentiometric method at a 2696 contact pH meter with
automatic compensation in the range of 0 to 40°C for pH
and temperature measurements of aqueous solutions.
Water activity (Aw) of raw materials was determined
by a cryoscopic method based on the determination
of the freezing temperature of the sample and its
conversion into the indicator of water activity.
Fats were extracted from fish raw materials by an
extraction-weight method according to State Standard
54053-2010XII. The content of individual fatty acid
methyl esters in relation to total fatty acid content was
determined by gas chromatography according to State
Standard R 51486-99XIII and State Standard R 51483-
99XIV using a Crystal 2000M gas chromatograph. The
acid number of extracted fats was determined according
IX State Standard 7269-79. Meat. Methods of sampling and sensory
methods of freshness test. Moscow: Standartinform; 2006. 7 p.
X MUK 4.1.986-00. Metodika vypolneniya izmereniy massovoy doli
svintsa i kadmiya v pishchevykh produktakh i prodovolʹstvennom syrʹe
metodom ehlektrotermicheskoy atomno-absorbtsionnoy spektrometrii
[Methodological Guidelines 4.1.986-00. Method of measurement of
mass fraction of lead and cadmium in food products and food raw
materials by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry]. Moscow:
Federal Center of State Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance
Department, Ministry of Health; 2000. 32 p.
XI MUK 4.2.026-95. Ehkspress-metod opredeleniya antibiotikov v
pishchevykh produktakh [Methodological Guidelines 4.2.026-95.
Express- method for determining antibiotics in food products].
Moscow: Institute of Nutrition of RAMS; 1995. 14 p.
XII State Standard 54053-2010. Confectionery. Methods for
determination of fat fraction. Moscow: Standartinform; 2013. 15 p.
XIII State Standard R 51486-99. Vegetable oils and animal fats.
Preparation of methyl esters of fatty acids. Moscow: Standartinform;
2008. 6 p.
XIV State Standard R 51483-99. Vegetable oils and animal fats.
Determination of individual fatty acid methyl ester fraction to total
fatty acid content by gas chromatography. Moscow: Standartinform;
2008. 7 p.
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Giro T.M. et al. Foods and Raw Materials, 2020, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 67–75
to State Standard R 52110-2003XV. The peroxide number
was determined by the Golovkina and Perkel method.
Peroxides in fish fats were determined by pH titration.
Sensory analysis of pork and fish was carried out
according to State Standard 23670-79XVI and State
Standard 814-96XVII, respectively. The analysis included
appearance, color, aroma, flavor, and texture.
The results were statistically processed using
Microsoft Excel 2010 (Microsoft Corp. USA) and
StatPlus 2009 Professional 5.8.4 for Windows statistical
analysis package (StatSoft Inc., USA). The Student
t-criterion was used to assess the validity of differences
between samplings.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
We aimed to develop and investigate eco-safe
packaging, namely bactericidal biodegradable film based
on bacterial exopolysaccharide (xanthan) to extend the
shelf life of animal raw materials.
At the initial stage, we assessed the sanitary and
hygienic state of the raw materials (Tables 1 and 2).
The content of toxic elements (lead and cadmium)
met the requirements of the Technical Regulations of
the Eurasian Economic Union “On safety of meat and
meat products”XVIII. We did not detect any antibiotics
(levomycetin, grisin, bacitracin) or their traces in
experimental pork samples packed in xanthan film
(TR CU 034/2013I).
Further, we examined carp for parasitological
parameters (Table 2).
The hygienic parameters of carp are presented in
Table 3.
The results of sanitary and hygienic analysis
showed that the fish raw materials under study met
the requirements of the TR EAEU 040/2016XVIII
(Tables 2 and 3).
The quality of chilled meat during storage and
moisture loss are known to depend on temperature and
cooling rate. Meat mass loss due to moisture evaporation
during cooling is not only a quantitative characteristic.
The product’s porous surface and thermal burns result
in deteriorated marketable conditions. De-iced pores
XV State Standard R 52110-2003. Vegetable oils. Methods for
determination of acid value. Moscow: Izdatelʹstvo standartov;
2003. 8 p.
XVI State Standard 23670-79. Cooked sausage goods and meat loaves.
Specifications. Moscow: Izdatelʹstvo standartov; 2003. 25 p.
XVII State Standard 814-96. Iced fish. Specifications. Moscow: Izdatel
ʹstvo standartov; 2001. 6 p.
XVIII TR EAEHS 040/2016. Tekhnicheskiy reglament Evraziyskogo
ehkonomicheskogo soyuza “O bezopasnosti ryby i rybnoy produktsii”
[TR EAEU 040/2016. Technical regulation of the Eurasian Economic
Union “On safety of fish and fish products”]. 2016. 140 p.
are filled with air, which accelerates oxidative processes
reducing the quality and marketability of pork [13].
In our study, the mass loss of chilled pork packed
in bio-degradable film decreased from 2.16% to 0.21%
during storage (Table 4).
These results confirm that the biodegradable film is
tightly attached to the surface of the raw material. This
ensures reliable sealing of the packaging and prevents
moisture exchange [19].
In our study, the storage of pork packed in biofilm
in cardboard containers significantly weakened
temperature fluctuations and had a positive effect on
mass loss reduction. Biodegradable packaging not only
ensures the microbiological stability of meat products,
but also improves their sensory properties due to an
increased meat water-binding capacity. The mass loss
of pork packed in biodegradable film was lower and the
meat was more dense than unpackaged pork.
Table 1 Environmental safety indicators for pork packed
in xanthan-based film
Toxic elements Content, mg/kg (M ± m)
Lead 0.054 ± 0.003
Cadmium 0.025 ± 0.0013
Table 2 Parasitological indicators of carp
Living helminth larvae Content
Trematodes
Opistorchis nd
Clonorchis nd
Pseudamphistomum nd
Metagonimus nd
Nanophietus nd
Echinochazmus nd
Metorchis nd
Rossikotrema nd
Apophallus nd
Nematodes
Dioctophyme nd
nd – not detected
Table 3 Hygienic indicators of carp
Indicator Level
Nitrosamines (N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)
and N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA)
–
Dioxins –
Polychlorinated biphenyls –
Table 4 Mass loss of cooled pork packed in biodegradable film
(experimental sample) and unpackaged pork (control sample)
during storage
Duration
of storage, days
Mass loss, g
Control sample Experimental samples
1 184.14 199.02
2 178.54 195.63
4 170.23 190.21
6 168.12 186.02
8 163.05 181.37
11 158.78 176.56
13 150.01 168.60
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In addition, biodegradable films slow down oxidation
processes. The decreased rate of oxidation processes in
the experimental samples correlates with their sensory
indicators. Sensory evaluation showed that all packaged
pork samples were fresh throughout the storage period,
namely seven days. Packing in biodegradable film
improves the sensory properties of raw materials, which
could not be achieved when storing without packaging.
The experimental samples had a more attractive
appearance and preserved their flavor during the shelf
life. The samples packed in biodegradable film had a
brighter color, as the proposed packaging prevented
oxidation of heme pigments. The control samples had a
specific drying crust on the meat surface. The film did
not degrade the taste, consistency, or color of pork.
The sensory evaluation of carp packed in
biodegradable film showed that the fish met all the
criteria for this type of raw materials within the first four
days, followed by a decline in the sensory indicators.
The control (unpackaged) samples deteriorated as early
as day 3 (Table 5).
A possible duration of refrigerated storage for fish
raw materials is determined by their initial properties,
as well as refrigeration and storage conditions. For
example, sealed packaging eliminates the need to
regulate the air humidity and prevents microbial
contamination. As a result, sealed packaging can, to
some extent, compensate for the lowering of the storage
temperature by a few degrees.
We found that the use of biodegradable film
contributed to the preservation of the quality and
freshness of carp, keeping its sensory indicators at the
required level for quite a long time and reducing the
natural loss of product mass during storage.
The analysis of Tables 5 and 6 showed the positive
effect of biodegradable film packaging on the carp
quality during short-term storage in a cold chamber
without special conditions. The analysis of pork’s
physicochemical indicators revealed that biodegradable
film packaging inhibited the microbial and enzymatic
activity, which reduced structural and chemical changes
in the raw materials under study.
The activity of water is known to have a great
impact on the growth of microorganisms. The initial
water activity value of pork Aw was 0.985. Packing
in biodegradable film based on exopolysaccharide of
Table 5 Sensory indicators of carp during six-day storage
Indicator Characteristic
Experimental samples Control samples
24 h (day 1)
Appearance Clean surface of natural coloring, glossy due to film
coating. Pink gills. No external damage (Fig. 6)
Clean surface of natural coloring. Pink gills. No external
damage
Texture Dense, elastic Dense, elastic
Odor Characteristic of fresh carp, without off-odors. Characteristic of fresh carp, without off-odors.
48 h (day 2)
Appearance Clean matte surface, dried crust. Pink gills. No external
damage
Clean surface of natural coloring. Pink gills. No external
damage
Texture Dense, elastic Dense, elastic
Odor Characteristic of fresh carp Characteristic of fresh carp
72 h (day 3)
Appearance Clean matte surface, dried crust. Pink gills. Without
external damage
Clean surface of natural coloring. Dark red gills. Fish
without external damage
Texture Dense, elastic Less dense
Odor Characteristic of fresh carp Characteristic of fresh carp
96 h (day 4)
Appearance Clean surface, with dried crust. Pink gills. Fish without
external damage
Clean surface of natural coloring. Dark-colored gills Fish
without external damage
Texture Dense, elastic Infirm, Inelastic
Odor Characteristic of fresh carp Off-odor
120 h (day 5)
Appearance Clean surface with dried crust. Pink gills. Fish without
external damage
Clean surface of natural coloring. Dark-colored gills Fish
without external damage
Texture Dense, elastic Infirm, Inelastic
Odor Off-odor With signs of spoilage
144 h (day 6)
Appearance Clean surface with dried crust. Pink gills Fish without
external damage
Mucous surface of unnatural coloring. Dark-colored gills.
Fish without external damage
Texture Dense, elastic Infirm
Odor Off-odor With signs of spoilage
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bacterial origin reduced this value to the level of 0.96 for
7 days. Thus, biodegradable film had a positive effect on
microbiological stability of pork and carp during storage.
The data characterizing the functional and
technological characteristics of the raw materials are
presented in Table 7.
According to the data from Table 7, biodegradable
film packaging decreased pH to 5.78, as a result of
accelerating glycolysis, which contributed to the
inhibition of bacterial growth on meat surface. In
addition, pH values in the experimental samples were
lower due to the biodegradable film’s pH (7.5). This
contributed to an increase in moisture by 5.1% and
improved hydration properties of muscle fibers during
storage. The same trend was observed for the waterbinding
capacity of experimental and control samples.
Based on the data presented in Table 7, we can conclude
that biodegradable film packaging showed an identical
effect on both meat and fish raw materials; the mass loss
and pH values of carp reduced during storage.
Thus, the packaging of animal raw materials in
biodegradable film based on exopolysaccharides
before cooling preserved the quality and increased
their stability during storage by slowing chemical,
microbiological, and enzymatic processes which cause
spoilage. Microbiological characteristics of pork stored
at 0–2°C for 10 days are presented in Tables 8 and 9.
On days 1 and 2 of meat storage, we observed a
gradual increase in the number of mesophilic aerobic
and facultative anaerobic microorganisms, as well as
coli form bacteria, both in the control and experimental
samples. Three days later, the number of mesophilic
aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms
decreased in the experimental samples, while in the
control ones this indicator increased, compared to day 1.
Proteus bacteria were detected in the control samples on
day 3. This bacterial growth indicated the beginning of
meat spoilage (rotting processes). In the experimental
samples, Proteus was found only on day 5. Proteus
bacteria count in the control samples was significantly
higher than in the samples packed in biofilm. Pathogenic
bacteria, including salmonella and L. monocytogenes,
were not found in the samples.
Obviously, the packaging reduces oxygen access to
raw materials and almost completely inhibits the growth
of aerobic microorganisms. As a result, the shelf life of
chilled pork in biodegradable film increased to 5 days.
We also studied the influence of biodegradable film
packaging on the microbiological processes occurring in
carp meat. It was revealed that the biofilm significantly
reduced the total contamination of fish on days 1 and 2,
thereby increasing the storage duration. Microbiological
characteristics of fish stored at 0–2°C for 2–6 days are
presented in Tables 10 and 11.
Pathogenic bacteria, including salmonella and
L. monocytogenes and staphylococci, were not found
in the samples under study. The data allowed us to
conclude that the film contributed to extending carp
shelf life. Thus, the microbiological results closely
correlated with the sensory characteristics of carp.
The oxidation processes in lipids are important in
the storage of raw meat. Lipids are relatively unstable
because they contain unsaturated fatty acids that are
Table 6 Change in fish mass during storage
Duration of storage, days Control sample Experimental
sample
Mass loss
1 104.54 109.16
2 98.34 105.39
3 95.13 100.67
6 86.47 96.81
Average weight for 4 days 96.12 103
Average deviation +6.89
Table 7 Functional and technological indicators
of pork and carp
Sample pH Aw Moisture, %
Pork
day 1 day 7 day 1 day 7 day 1 day 7
Control 6.30 6.10 0.985 0.982 69.2 66.8
Experiment 6.30 5.78 0.985 0.960 69.2 71.9
Carp
Control 6.42 6.39 0.9819 0.9816 68.98 71.39
Experiment 6.42 6.35 0.9819 0.9569 68.98 71.5
Table 8 Total bacterial count in pork during 10-day storage
Sample Mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms
Storage duration, days
1 2 3 5 7 10
Control 2.0×106 ± 0.02 2.0×107 ± 0.20 1.0×107 ± 0.40 2.0×107 ± 0.20 3.5×107 ± 0.20 1.0×108 ± 0,20
Experimental 1.0×107 ± 0.20 2.5×107 ± 0.20 5.0×106 ± 0.04* 1.0×107 ± 0.40* 2.0×107 ± 0.20* 5.0×107 ± 0.80*
*P ≤ 0.05
Table 9 Microbial contamination of pork during
10-day storage
Sample Coli form bacteria Proteus bacteria
Storage duration, days Storage duration, days
1 2 3 5 7 10 1 2 3 5 7 10
Control + + + + + + – – + + + +
Experimental + + + + + + – – – + + +
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easily oxidized. The oxidation of lipids, as well as the
pigments of muscle tissue, depends on oxygen partial
pressure. Oxidative changes in lipids under aerobic
conditions have a limited rate of hydroperoxic radical
formation [15, 16].
We studied oxidation processes of raw meat packed
in biodegradable film and their effect on meat shelf life.
The shelf life of pork to a large extent depends on the
resistance of the lipid fraction to oxidation, which, in its
turn, depends on the content of radicals of unsaturated
fatty acids and the degree of their unsaturation. To
evaluate the rate of oxidative processes occurring in
cooled meat during storage, we determined peroxide,
acid, and thiobarbituric values in the experimental
samples (packed in biodegradable film based on
exopolysaccharide of bacterial origin) and in the control
samples (Table 12).
As one can see from Table 12, the control samples
showed a more intensive enzymatic hydrolysis rate of
triglycerides and phospholipids in the control samples.
The accumulation of secondary oxidation products
depends on the initial thiobarbituric value and has a
negative effect on the sensory parameters and shelf life
of products. By the end of storage (day 7), the value was
0.056 for unpackaged meat and 0.026 for pork packed in
biodegradable film, which confirms the prospects of the
proposed packaging. The analysis of lipid parameters
of pork stored at 0–2°C showed that by day 7, the
thiobarbituric value in pork packed in biodegradable
film was 2.2 times lower than in the control samples. We
found that the duration of induction increased and the
rate of peroxides accumulation decreased with reduction
of air oxygen access to raw materials.
A slight increase in peroxide value indicated the
inhibition of oxidative processes. At the final stage of
pork storage (day 7), the growth of peroxide values for
packaged and control samples was 0.034 and 0.038%,
respectively. The slower oxidation process in packaged
pork can be explained by a low gas permeability of the
packaging film combined with the ability of muscle
tissue to absorb oxygen. A low amount of oxygen in the
package inhibits oxidative processes and, in combination
with low temperature, creates favorable conditions for
raw materials.
A determining factor of the fish shelf life is often
lipid oxidation, which causes negative changes in its
sensory properties (taste, flavor, color, texture) and
nutritional value, as well as possible formation of toxic
oxidation products. The processes of lipid change are
quite complex since they occur as a result of chemical,
biological, and enzymatic transformations. These
processes often occur simultaneously, but lead to the
formation of the same intermediate end products such
as peroxides, free fatty acids, aldehydes, ketones,
as well as products of their polymerization. The
oxidizing properties of fats depend on the degree of fat
unsaturation and factors inhibiting oxidation, namely
heat, light, traces of heavy metals, etc.
In addition, the degree of lipolysis is of importance,
since this process is the first stage of degradation of
the product. Enzymes (e.g. lipoxygenases) catalyze
lipid oxidation, interacting mainly or exclusively
with free fatty acids. The stability of food material in
relation to lipolytic decomposition is an indicator of
biochemical activity of enzymes, cofactors, and lipid
substrates. Water-insoluble lipids tend to aggregate,
forming a boundary layer. Thus, the sensitivity to
lipolysis and subsequent lipid oxidation is determined
by the physicochemical properties of this unique twodimensional
medium. In the case of fish, of great
importance is its physiological condition, which affects
its quality and shelf life.
The fatty acid composition of carp fat phase showed
that its lipids were characterized by high biological
efficiency, but at the same time by instability during
storage due to their unsaturation (Table 13).
Since peroxide and acid values are indicators of the
product’s safety, we determined these parameters in the
control and experimental carp samples (Table 14).
Table 13 demonstrates that the content of free fatty
acids in the experimental samples was almost half as
large as in the control samples on day 1 of storage. This
Table 10 Total bacterial count in carp during storage
Sample Mesophilic aerobic and facultative
anaerobic microorganisms
Storage duration, days
1 2
Control 1.0×107 ± 0.080 4,0×104 ± 0,4
Experimental 1.0×103 ± 0.080* 2,0×103 ± 0,2*
* P ≤ 0.05
Table 11 Microbial contamination of carp during storage
Sample Coli form bacteria
Storage duration, days
1 2 3 6
Control + + + +
Experimental + + + +
Table 12 Changes in lipid fraction of pork packed
in biodegradable film based on xanthan
Sample Storage,
days
Acid
value,
mg KOH
Peroxide
value, %
iodine
Thiobarbituric
value,
N/mol/mL
M M M
Experimental 0 0.300 0 0
2 0.430 0.003 0
5 0.460 0.020 0.031
7 0.650 0.034 0.026
Control 0 0.300 0 0
2 0.600 0.007 0
5 0.670 0.026 0.031
7 0.780 0.038 0.056
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suggests that hydrolytic processes in the tissues of the
experimental carp samples occurred more slowly during
storage. Nevertheless, the content of free fatty acids
exceeded the current norm six to seven times at the final
stage of research.
According to the data presented in Table 14, the
content of peroxides on day 1 of storage corresponded
to the norms (less than 10 meq/kg) in both groups and
was higher in the control compared to the experimental
samples. By the end of the experiment, it reached the
levels that did not meet the safety requirements.
Thus, the change in the fat fraction in carp packed
in biodegradable film slowed down the oxidation of its
lipids. However, it should be noted that the carp samples
under study had an increased initial content of free fatty
acids and peroxides that did not meet the requirements
of technical regulationsXVIII, which may be due to the
diet used in carp cultivation.
The results of our research are largely comparable
with numerous studies on the influence of various
biodegradable films on the quality and shelf life of
animal raw materials. Jeevahan et al. showed a positive
effect of starch-based nanocellulose film on food
products [17]. Another work was devoted to the use of
biodegradable nanocomposite pigment films for food
conservation [18].
Wang et al. and Pavlath revealed that biodegradable
cellulose composite film based on corncob lignin
and made by an anti-solvent precipitation method is
effective in food technologies [19, 20]. In addition,
water-soluble Vivos (MonoSol) film has been recently
studied. However, its use is limited, as it dissolves only
in hot water [9]. Promising are film coatings based on
polysaccharides (chitosan, alginates), as well as calcium
or magnesium salts, which were developed by Harvard
University researchers [21].
CONCLUSION
This paper suggested the use of bacterial
exopolysaccharides (xanthan) as the main ingredient
for food film coatings. We revealed that this
packaging reduced oxygen access to raw materials
and almost completely inhibited the growth of aerobic
microorganisms, resulting in extended shelf life
resistance of meat and fish during storage. Under such
a coating, myoglobin retained its native state, so the
meat had a richer color, which appeals to consumers.
Biodegradable film packaging increased not only the
microbiological stability of meat, but also its waterbinding
capacity and sensory properties. Pork packed in
the biodegradable film has higher juiciness and denser
texture compared to unpacked samples. In addition, we
observed the significant inhibition of aerobic and coliform
bacteria growth in experimental samples at 0–2°C.
The storage temperature of 0–2°C for pork and
carp, relative air humidity of 85–90%, and air speed
of 0.2–0.3 m/s provided high quality for 10 days for
pork and 2 days for fish. It should be noted that the
chosen temperature did not prevent the development of
microflora, enzymatic processes, and processes of fat
fraction oxidation. Nevertheless, biodegradable film
extended the shelf life of chilled meat products and
protected it from microbial and oxidative damage.
The packaging of meat raw materials in
biodegradable film can be very promising to use in
the food industry. This method of packaging not only
preserves the functional and technological properties of
food products, lowers their mass loss, and extends their
shelf life, but also reduces costs and is environmentally
friendly.
The findings were presented at the 20th Russian
agro-industrial exhibition “Golden Autumn-2018” and
awarded a diploma and a bronze medal.
In addition, we developed technical documentation
for the production of pork cuts 9213-012-00493497-
18 (“Pork cuts packed in biodegradable film”). The
technology was tested and adopted at “Products of the
Volga Region” meat processing plant (Engels, Saratov
region).
CONTRIBUTION
The authors were equally involved in the writing
of the manuscript and are equally responsible for
plagiarism.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors state that there is no conflict of interest.

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