Preparation of epsilon-polylysine/chitosan nanofibers for food packaging against Salmonella on chicken

The study aims to prepare epsilon-polylysine/chitosan nanofibers inhibiting Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis on chicken. The physicochemical properties of nanofibers were characterized using SEM, AFM, FT-IR and UV-vis spectroscopy. The application of epsilon-polylysine/chitosan nanofibers on chicken against Salmonella was evaluated. The number of Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis in control groups at 25 degrees C reached 8.21 Log CFU/g and 8.37 Log CFU/g respectively, while the number of Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis in epsilon-PL/chitosan nanofibers groups decreased to 5.03 Log CFU/g and 5.25 Log CFU/g, which demonstrated that the epsilon-polylysine/chitosan nanofibers were successful in inhibiting Salmonella on chicken. Sensory evaluation indicated that the nanofibers maintained the color and flavor of the chicken. In conclusion, the study showed that the epsilon-polylysine/chitosan nanofibers could significantly behave as potent antibacterial material in food packaging and preservation systems thereby increasing the shelf life and maintaining the quality of the packed food.