Incorporation of nisin Z and lauric arginate into pullulan films to inhibit foodborne pathogens associated with fresh and ready-to-eat muscle foods

•Pullulan film with lauric arginate and nisin inhibited Gram-negative and -positive bacteria in vitro.•When applied to foods (in situ), and stored at 4 °C, the films inhibited several foodborne pathogens.•The antimicrobial films may improve the safety and quality of fresh and processed muscle foods.

A combination of food grade compounds with edible films, used to inhibit foodborne pathogens associated with fresh or further processed muscle foods, is receiving considerable attention. In this study, pullulan films containing lauric arginate (LAE) and nisin Z (produced by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis I8-7-3 and isolated from catfish gut), alone or in combination, were investigated for controlling foodborne pathogens on fresh and further processed muscle foods after long-term refrigerated storage. Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis on raw turkey breast slices wrapped with a film containing LAE or the combination of LAE with nisin Z were reduced throughout the experiment, 2.5 to 4.5 log10 CFU/cm2 and 3.5 to 5.1 log10 CFU/cm2, respectively. Film containing a combination of LAE with nisin Z reduced Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes Scott A inoculated onto ham surfaces by approximately 5.53 and 5.62 log10 CFU/cm2, respectively during refrigerated storage. Escherichia coli O157:H7, O111, and O26 also were reduced by > 4 log10 CFU/cm2 on raw beef slices after treatment with the combination film and refrigerated storage. The results obtained from this study indicate the LAE- and LAE–nisin Z-containing pullulan films displayed excellent inhibition against foodborne pathogens on fresh and further processed muscle foods.