Effect of functional chitosan coating and gamma irradiation on the shelf-life of chicken meat during refrigerated storage

The present study was conducted to evaluate the combined effect of low-dose gamma irradiation (2.5 kGy) and chitosan edible coating (2%) containing grape seed extract (GSE) (0.1%) on the microbial, chemical and sensorial quality of chicken breast meat during 21 days of storage at 4 °C. The samples were periodically analyzed for microbiological (aerobic mesophilic and psychrotrophic counts), chemical (TBA, pH, aw) and sensorial (odor, appearance, and overall acceptability) characteristics. Results indicated that irradiation and the active coating had significant (P ≤ 0.05) effects on reduction of bacterial growth with at least a 14-day extension of shelf life. Results represented the protective effect of chitosan coating containing GSE against induced lipid oxidation by irradiation. All chitosan-coated samples showed lower TBA and pH values than other treatments during storage, and no significant (P > 0.05) difference was observed due to irradiation in TBA values. Results also indicated that the application of chitosan coating significantly improved the sensorial quality of the samples, and none of the evaluated sensorial attributes was significantly affected by irradiation. Based on the results obtained in this study, the application of low-dose gamma irradiation and chitosan coating containing GSE was effective in preserving the quality of fresh chicken meats and is recommended in meat products.