Abstract:In order to develop gelatin-calcium carbonate edible films with antibacterial activity, gelatin-calcium carbonate edible films were incorporated with 0%, 1%, and 3% ginger essential oils. The thickness, mechanical properties, water solubility (WS), water vapor permeability (WVP), color, light transmission and transparency, antibacterial activity, surface morphology, and microstructure of the prepared edible films were measured. Additionally, the freshness-preserving effect of edible films on chilled pork stored at 4 ℃ was also investigated. The results showed that after the addition of ginger essential oil, the appearance of the films became darker due to interactions between gelatin and ginger essential oil; also, the tensile strength, WS, and WVP were all decreased to some extent, while the thickness, elongation at break, and antibacterial activity of the edible films were all increased to some extent. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to characterize the microstructure and roughness of the edible films and the results showed that the surface roughness of the ginger essential oil-treated films increased with increasing ginger essential oil concentration. In addition, the preservation experiment on chilled fresh pork showed that the preservative effect of the modified films was improved upon increasing the amount of added ginger essential oil. In summary, the ginger essential oil-edible film, which was developed by the addition of ginger essential oil to gelatin-calcium carbonate edible films, has potential applications in food packaging.
