Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Treatment Combined with Rosemary Essential Oil to Prolong the Shelf-life of Chicken Breast Meat

Abstract

Essential oils are well known for their antimicrobial properties, making them attractive for food preservation. However, when used alone, their effectiveness can be limited. Combining essential oils with other technologies shows promise for enhancing their efficacy.. The present work focuses on a laboratory-scale feasibility analysis investigating the potential synergism between supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) and rosemary essential oil (REO) to extend the shelf life of chicken breast meat, a product with a short storage time that contributes significantly to food waste. In this context, a novel method with supercritical carbon dioxide and modified atmosphere packaging (scCO₂MAP) was used in combination with 1% REO. This method has a lower impact on product colour change with respect to traditional scCO₂ processes while increasing food safety by reducing the number of viable microorganisms. Storage tests were conducted for up to 12 days at 4°C, measuring the load of the total mesophilic and psychrophilic microorganisms, water activity and pH. At day 0, the results showed a significant reduction in both mesophilic and psychrophilic microorganisms, respectively about 2.11 and 2.05 log CFU/g. During storage, the microorganism counts in the treated samples were lower compared to the untreated ones. The pH and water activity were not significantly different during the whole shelf life. This study shows promise for the development of a low-temperature treatment capable of enhancing the safety and of prolonging the shelf life of poultry meat.