Application of chitosan-sunflower oil edible films to pork meat hamburgers

Edible films were prepared by combining high molecular weight chitosan with sunflower oil. Films were obtained by casting and were applied to the surface of pork meat hamburgers. Chitosan-based films increased the metmyoglobin (MtMb) content of coated hamburgers during cold storage, especially when using lactic acid as a solvent. The incorporation of sunflower oil to the chitosan matrix led to a reduction in MtMb content of hamburgers as compared to samples coated with pure chitosan films. Chitosan films led to a reduction in the microbial counts of samples during storage. However, it is important to modulate the oxygen permeability of films in order to avoid undesirable effects (MtMb formation).