Cinnamon and Rosemary Essential Oils Incorporated into Alginate Coating Improve Chemical and Sensorial Quality of Chicken Meat

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the edible coating of Cinnamon Essential Oil (CEO) and Rosemary Essential Oil (REO) incorporated into alginate coating to maintain chemical and sensorial characteristics of chicken meat under refrigeration conditions. Firstly in vitro antioxidant activity of essential oils was evaluated. Then fresh chicken meats were coated with alginate solution containing CEO, REO alone and in combination and treatments were evaluated for Peroxide value (PV), total carbonyls, ThioBarbituric Acid Reactive Substances BARS), TriMethylAmine Nitrogen (TMAN), Total Volatile Basic Nitrogen (TVBN) and sensory quality tests. Results indicated that there was a significant difference in chemical parameters and sensorial attributes in all treatments when compared to control during storage. Therefore the functional alginate-sodium coating containing CEO and REO extended the shelf life of fresh chicken meat during refrigerated storage and could have a valuable food preserving potential in the food industry.