Effect of sodium alginate-based edible coating containing lemon verbena (Lippia citrodora) extract on the shelf-life of minced meat in refrigerated condition

Meat and meat products are susceptible to microbial and chemical contamination, and microbial growth and oxidation of fats are major causes of spoilage. The use of films and food coatings, mainly due to their ability to create a combination with the properties of preventing moisture evaporation, oxygen penetration, preserving the taste, smell and color of food, increases their quality and shelf life. Medicinal plants are valuable natural resources that are considered by developed countries today. One of the most important and valuable medicinal plants is lemongrass, which has strong antioxidant and antimicrobial potential due to its phenolic compounds and sulfur-containing substances. In this study, beef minced meat was coated with oral sodium alginate coating containing lemongrass extract (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5%) and in a 14-day period, the total count of mesophilic and cold bacteria as well as PV, TBA , PH and sensory properties of ground beef were evaluated. In data analysis, the results showed that pH, PV, TBA increased significantly during maintenance (p <0.05). However, oral coating containing 1.5% of lemon extract showed the greatest effect against controlling the increase of pH, PV, TBA and counting of mesophilic bacteria and cold-blooded bacteria during storage. Coverage with different ratios in sensory evaluation affected all sensory properties of the samples. So that the highest general acceptance score was related to the coating with 1.5% of lemon extract. As a result, alginate coating containing lemongrass extract can delay microbial spoilage and oxidation in minced beef and improve the sensory properties of minced meat during refrigerated storage.