Table 4.
Color parameters (mean ± standard deviation) in RTE meat packaged during refrigerated storage (0% EO: control films; 0.5% EO: films with 0.5% thyme essential oil; 1% EO: films with 1% thyme essential oil; 2% EO: films with 2% thyme essential oil). * Delta E, total color differences between 0% EO (day 0).
| Lightness | Days of Storage | ||||
| 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | |
| 0% EO | 66.28 ± 1.71 | 62.18 ± 0.92 | 59.82 ± 1.90 | 60.98 ± 1.85 | 61.85 ± 1.65 |
| 0.5% EO | 64.94 ± 1.25 | 63.14 ± 1.91 | 63.53 ± 1.47 | 62.64 ± 0.90 | 59.47 ± 1.48 |
| 1% EO | 66.79 ± 1.82 | 64.70 ± 1.10 | 62.81 ± 1.26 | 63.97 ± 1.11 | 60.26 ± 1.65 |
| 2% EO | 66.10 ± 1.07 | 59.56 ± 1.36 | 61.88 ± 0.61 | 61.15 ± 0.45 | 61.66 ± 2.82 |
| a * (Redness/Greenness) | Days of Storage | ||||
| 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | |
| 0% EO | 6.03 ± 0.40 | 5.79 ± 0.24 | 6.13 ± 0.35 | 6.73 ± 0.58 | 6.27 ± 0.75 |
| 0.5% EO | 6.28 ± 0.65 | 5.49 ± 0.53 | 5.41 ± 0.68 | 7.08 ± 0.47 | 6.91 ± 0.38 |
| 1% EO | 6.52 ± 0.23 | 6.03 ± 0.23 | 7.08 ± 0.80 | 6.89 ± 0.38 | 7.60 ± 0.48 |
| 2% EO | 6.45 ± 0.32 | 6.39 ± 0.75 | 6.54 ± 0.46 | 7.44 ± 0.74 | 7.52 ± 0.51 |
| b * (Yellowness/Blueness) | Days of Storage | ||||
| 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | |
| 0% EO | 8.31 ± 0.30 | 8.27 ± 0.27 | 8.82 ± 0.78 | 7.67 ± 0.67 | 7.24 ± 0.25 |
| 0.5% EO | 8.27 ± 0.23 | 8.46 ± 0.45 | 9.09 ± 0.94 | 7.97 ± 0.41 | 6.91 ± 0.25 |
| 1% EO | 8.15 ± 0.42 | 8.55 ± 0.73 | 7.84 ± 0.21 | 8.68 ± 0.36 | 7.51 ± 0.38 |
| 2% EO | 8.57 ± 0.24 | 8.61 ± 0.03 | 8.64 ± 0.59 | 8.23 ± 0.27 | 7.70 ± 0.42 |
| C (Chroma) | Days of Storage | ||||
| 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | |
| 0% EO | 10.28 ± 0.23 | 10.10 ± 0.23 | 10.48 ± 0.58 | 10.22 ± 0.88 | 9.93 ± 0.33 |
| 0.5% EO | 10.40 ± 0.33 | 10.10 ± 0.48 | 10.58 ± 0.95 | 10.63 ± 0.32 | 9.78 ± 0.22 |
| 1% EO | 10.41 ± 0.43 | 10.47 ± 0.63 | 10.52 ± 0.56 | 11.08 ± 0.48 | 10.69 ± 0.54 |
| 2% EO | 10.73 ± 0.31 | 10.89 ± 0.45 | 10.79 ± 0.64 | 11.09 ± 0.52 | 10.76 ± 0.64 |
| h (Hue) | Days of Storage | ||||
| 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | |
| 0% EO | 54.02 ± 2.47 | 55.00 ± 1.58 | 55.09 ± 3.50 | 48.65 ± 0.67 | 49.53 ± 5.14 |
| 0.5% EO | 52.82 ± 2.77 | 57.04 ± 2.88 | 59.22 ± 3.69 | 48.67 ± 2.88 | 45.04 ± 2.31 |
| 1% EO | 51.46 ± 1.09 | 54.72 ± 2.37 | 47.78 ± 3.33 | 51.57 ± 0.99 | 44.67 ± 1.50 |
| 2% EO | 53.04 ± 1.37 | 53.03 ± 3.24 | 53.08 ± 2.08 | 47.91 ± 2.07 | 45.69 ± 0.90 |
| Delta E * | Days of Storage | ||||
| 7 | 14 | 21 | 28 | ||
| 0% EO | 4.13 ± 0.92 | 6.53 ± 1.27 | 5.45 ± 1.14 | 4.65 ± 1.41 | |
| 0.5% EO | 3.28 ± 0.80 | 3.19 ± 1.14 | 3.88 ± 1.01 | 7.02 ± 1.47 | |
| 1% EO | 1.85 ± 0.20 | 3.82 ± 1.11 | 2.55 ± 0.56 | 6.30 ± 0.61 | |
| 2% EO | 6.79 ± 0.70 | 4.48 ± 0.79 | 5.37 ± 1.71 | 4.94 ± 0.68 | |