Production and characterization of biodegradable films with anti microbial activity

Biodegradable films have extensively been utilized in food preservation. The goal of food preservation is to maintain product freshness until expiration date. To achieve this goal, the ingredients of biodegradable films should be compatible with the food and the ingredients should not cause contamination during interaction. Besides biodegradability, the ingredients forming the film should both be adjustable and replaceable to enable the change of properties towards achieving anti-microbial activity. Hence studies related to film syntheses were focused on achieving anti-microbial activity. The present study investigated synthesis of poli vinyl alcohol and starch containing biofilms. Synthesis procedure was established considering facile combination of the ingredients. PVA and starch as the main constituents was enriched with various ingredients to achieve anti-microbial activity. Tri sodium phosphate and mint extract were added to synthesis procedure to maintain both anti-microbial activity and strength. Initial results obtained with films indicated that these films could have safely been utilized in preservation of chicken parts. Drip loss studies with chicken were conducted with samples refrigerated for 24, 48, 72 and 168 hours. Results indicated accelerated film degradation. Hence the procedures utilized in the synthesis was modified with a decrease of water (1/5 ratio) and gliserol amount. The increase in swelling index values was determined as the first result implying the increase of film strength. Drop loss measurements conducted in the presence of modified films indicated losses below the threshold of 5% which was another validation of the improvement observed via modification. Anti microbial activites of the films revealed the effect of CaCl2 included to the recipe as additive. A comparison between the control incubated solely with Salmonella sp. and samples prepared with film addition revealed a decrease in total colony number. This result was interpreted as the synthesis of films succesful in the storage of chicken.