Effect of active antimicrobial films on the growth of pathogenic bacteria in Mantı

Abstract The current study assessed antimicrobial films for use in active food packaging. Mantı, a tortellini-like Turkish food, was packaged with antimicrobial films to extend refrigerated storage time at 4 °C. Polycaprolactone (PCL) was separately incorporated with cinnamaldehyde (CNMA) and pomegranate methanolic extract (PME) to form antimicrobial diffusion films for use against two common food-poisoning bacteria, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and the mantı pieces were separately inoculated with 5 log concentrations of both types of bacteria. The films and mantı were then inserted in polyethylene bags, which were filled with 100% N2 gas and monitored at 4 °C for 28 days. The results clearly show that both a low temperature storage (4 °C) and antimicrobial films controlled microbial growth in packages of mantı kept in a modified atmosphere (100% N2) for a 28-day period. The findings are promising from an industrial standpoint with regard to bakery foods that are packaged and preserved for short-term periods (<30 days).