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. 2021 Jul 9;10(7):1598. doi: 10.3390/foods10071598

Table 2.

Overview of studies testing the efficacy of anti-microbial packaging with essential oils and plant extracts or their components on meat products.

Anti-Microbial Agent—Concentration Applied Food Product Packaging Material Microorganisms Targeted Indicative Reduction (Log10 CFU/g, Log10 CFU/mL, Log10 CFU/cm2) 1,2,3,4 Reference
Angelica Root—0.1% v/w Pork Polyethylene (PE) film Total counts 2.34 [51]
Brochothrix thermosphacta 1.49
Carnobacterium spp. 1.04
Enterobacteriaceae 1.95
Staphylococcus sp. 1.17
Pseudomonas sp. 0.89
Enterococcus sp. 0.81
Chrysanthemum—1.5% w/v Beef Chitosan/nanofibers film L. monocytogenes 1.2–1.5 [52]
Cinnamon—10% w/w Pork Polylactic acid (PLA)/b-cyclodextrin nanofilm Total viable counts 4.5 5 [53]
5 mg/mL Chicken Sodium alginate (NaAlg) coating Total viable counts 1.4 [54]
Psychrotrophic bacteria 1
Pseudomonas spp. 0.8
Enterobacteriaceae 0.6
Lactic acid bacteria 1.5
Yeasts and moulds 0.5
L. monocytogenes 1
Clove—0.1% v/w Pork Polyethylene (PE) film Total counts 2.49 [51]
B. thermosphacta 2.17
Carnobacterium spp. 1.62
Enterobacteriaceae 2.37
Staphylococcus sp. 1.73
Pseudomonas sp. 1.34
Enterococcus sp. 1.26
3% Ground chicken meat Carboxymethyl cellulose–polyvinyl alcohol (CMC-PVOH) film Total viable counts 3 6 [55]
1, 2 mg/g Beef Chitosan-myristic acid nanogel coating Salmonella enterica ser Enteritidis 0.3–0.8 [56]
0.5 g in 9 × 5 cm film Ground chicken Linear-low density polyethylene (LLDPE) film S. Typhimurium 7 [57]
L. monocytogenes 6
Coriander—0.5%, 1% Chicken Sodium alginate (NaAlg)-glycerol coating Mesophilic bacteria 1–1.5 [58]
Psychrotrophic bacteria 0.8–1.2
Lactic acid bacteria 1.3–2.3
Coliforms 1.4–2.4
Staphylococcus aureus 1.2–2.1
Moulds and yeasts 1.1–1.5
Cumin—Black zira—0.5%, 1% v/v Ground beef Polylactic acid (PLA)-nanocellulose (NC) film Total viable bacteria 0.7 [59]
Lactic acid bacteria 0.1–0.2
Enterobacteriaceae 0.5–0.8
Psychrotrophic bacteria 0.2–0.3
S. aureus 0.6–1.2
Pseudomonas spp. 0.1–0.3
0.5%, 1%, 2% v/v Chicken Chitosan coating Mesophilic bacteria 0.45–0.59 [60]
Psychrotrophic bacteria 0
Lactic acid bacteria 0
Enterobacteriaceae 0
Yeasts and moulds 0
Eucalyptus—0.5%, 1%, 2% v/v Chicken Chitosan coating Mesophilic bacteria 0–0.69 [60]
Psychrotrophic bacteria 1.11–1.41
Lactic acid bacteria 0
Enterobacteriaceae 0
Yeasts and moulds 0
Garlic—2%, 4%, 6%, 8% w/w Ready-to-Eat (RTE) beef loaf Low density polyethylene (LDPE) film L. monocytogenes 0.2–0.5 [61]
E. coli 0–0.2
B. thermosphacta 0–0.2
Horseradish, mustard—0.6, 1.2 µg/h release rate Chicken Glass vial inside high density polyethylene (HDPE) film S. enterica ser Typhimurium 1–1.2 [62]
L. monocytogenes 0.1–0.6
Total aerobic bacteria 0.5–1
20%, 28%, 40%, 52%, 58% v/w Cooked chicken Cellulose film with carbon nanotube (CNT) Salmonella Choleraesuis 2.5–8 [63]
Psychrotrophic bacteria 1.5–8
Mesophilic bacteria 0.7–8
Lemongrass—2% Pork sausage Polylactic acid (PLA) film L. monocytogenes 1.47 [64]
Nutmeg—0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2% Beef Sage seed mucilage coating Total viable count 3–8 [65]
Psychrotrophic bacteria 1.8–5.5
E. coli 0.5–2
S. aureus 1–3
Yeasts and moulds 1–5
Oregano—1%, 2%, 3% v/v Beef Soy protein coating E. coli O157:H7 1.2–1.83 [66]
L. monocytogenes 0.9–1.9
S. aureus 1.8–2.86
5% v/v Ground beef patties Soy protein film Total viable count 0 [67]
Lactic acid bacteria 0
Staphylococcus spp. 0
Pseudomonas spp. 0.6
Coliforms 0.5
Pepper—2% w/w Chicken Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) coating Mesophilic bacteria 1.5–2.2 [68]
Psychrotrophic bacteria 1.5–2
Peppermint—0.5%, 1% v/v Ground beef Polylactic acid (PLA)- nanocellulose (NC) film Total viable bacteria 0.7 [59]
Lactic acid bacteria 0–0.4
Enterobacteriaceae 0.6–0.8
Psychrotrophic bacteria 0.4
S. aureus 0.6–0.8
Pseudomonas spp. 0.1–0.4
Rosemary—4% w/w Chicken 3 layers film (paper-metallic layer- high density polyethylene (HDPE)) Mesophilic bacteria 0.3 [69]
Enterobacteriaceae 0
Pseudomonas spp. 0.24
B. thermosphacta 0.37
5 mg/mL Chicken Sodium alginate (NaAlg) coating Total viable counts 1.6 [54]
Psychrotrophic bacteria 1.6
Pseudomonas spp. 1.3
Enterobacteriaceae 1.6
Lactic acid bacteria 1.7
Yeasts and moulds 0.8
L. monocytogenes 1.5
0.1% v/w Pork Polyethylene (PE) film Total counts 2.53 [51]
B. thermosphacta 1.95
Carnobacterium spp. 1.5
Enterobacteriaceae 2.48
Staphylococcus sp. 1.39
Pseudomonas sp. 1.08
Enterococcus sp. 0.98
4% w/w Beef 3 layers film (paper-metallic layer- high density polyethylene (HDPE)) Psychrotrophic bacteria 0–0.7 7 [70]
B. thermosphacta 0–1.5 7
Pseudomonas spp. 0–0.8 7
Enterobacteriaceae 0–0.8 7
Thyme—1%, 2%, 3% v/v Beef Soy protein coating E. coli O157:H7 1.2–1.87 [66]
L. monocytogenes 1–1.97
S. aureus 1.6–2.6
5% v/v Ground beef patties Soy protein film Total viable count 0 [67]
Lactic acid bacteria 0
Staphylococcus spp. 0.2
Pseudomonas spp. 0.9
Coliforms 0.6
1% Sausage Chitosan coating Yeasts and moulds 0.6–1.5 [71]
Turmeric—2% w/w Chicken Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) coating Mesophilic bacteria 2.2–3 [68]
Psychrotrophic bacteria 3.5

The synergistic effect of anti-microbial agents or their component, where it has been studied, is not cited. 1 The difference of population that is cited is sometimes an approximate number, because of lack of exact data; 2 When the range of population difference is cited; it corresponds to the different experimental conditions studied (e.g., different concentrations, storage temperatures, etc.); 3 When the anti-microbial agents were combined with other preservation methods or were incorporated into chitosan coatings, the effect of the agent alone is cited; 4 These classifications apply to the end point of each experiment; 5 The population difference cited corresponds to the 4th day of the experiment, because of lack of data for the pork packed with the fresh-keeping film; 6 The population difference cited corresponds to the 4th day of the experiment, because of lack of data for the control sample of ground chicken; 7 The population difference cited corresponds to the 10th day of the experiment, because of lack of data for the beef stored at aerobic conditions.