Curcumin‐Modified Chitosan‐Based Superabsorbent Polymers for Chilled Meat Preservation

ABSTRACT

Active packaging materials that simultaneously inhibit microbial spoilage and oxidative deterioration while minimizing the migration of functional additives are highly desirable for chilled meat preservation. In this study, a curcumin‐modified chitosan‐dialdehyde starch superabsorbent polymer (CC4‐SAP) was developed through microwave‐assisted treatment and incorporated into a gelatin‐based porous network for chilled meat preservation. TLC showed reduced curcumin mobility, particularly in CC3 and CC4, while FTIR revealed spectral changes consistent with interactions among the matrix components. Together with the low curcumin migration measured after 24 h in water at 4°C (< 0.01 mg/g SAP), these findings support strong curcumin–matrix interactions, with covalent coupling remaining a plausible contribution. During the 21‐day storage test, CC4‐SAP‐treated pork showed lower later‐stage bacterial counts, pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values than the negative control, together with higher instrumental redness at Day 21. These results indicate that CC4‐SAP combines low migration under the aqueous test conditions with antimicrobial and antioxidant performance. Overall, CC4‐SAP is a promising absorbent material for delaying chilled‐pork quality deterioration under the tested packaging conditions.