Application of Polypropylene-Based Nanocomposite Films for Sliced Turkish Pastrami under Vacuum/Modified Atmosphere Packaging: A Pilot Study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of polypropylene (PP)-based nanomaterials with improved barrier properties by nanoclay and antimicrobial properties by poly-beta-pinene (P beta P) on the quality and shelf life of sliced pastrami as an alternative to the commercial multilayered materials. Sliced pastrami was packaged using nanocomposite films with and w/o P beta P, and multilayered material under air, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and vacuum. Packaged products were screened for microbiological, physicochemical and sensory quality at 4 degrees C for 6 months. Salmonella spp., Clostridium perfringens and coagulase positive Staphylococus aureus were not detected in the products during entire storage. No yeast and mold growth occurred for entire storage using antimicrobial nanocomposite and multilayer material under vacuum. The antimicrobial effect of P beta P on the pastrami was higher under vacuum compared to MAP applications suggesting that direct contact of the material is required with the food surface. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) of pastrami under vacuum were lower than those of MAP applications. The initial carbonyl content of the product was determined as 3.38 nmol/mg and a slight increase was observed during storage period for all applications. The shelf life of pastrami is suggested as 150 days using P beta P containing nanomaterials under vacuum, which is longer than the shelf life of a commercial product on the market using multilayer materials.