DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF ACTIVE PACKAGING BASED ON BREADFRUIT MEAL (Artocarpus altilis) AND BASIL ESSENTIAL OIL (Ocimum basilicum) FOR RABBIT MEAT PRESERVATION

The development of food preservation technologies has allowed the advancement of more effective methods to ensure the integrity of food products throughout the entire distribution chain. The packaging, in addition to serving as a physical barrier, has incorporated functionalities, such as the ability to control the internal atmosphere and release active compounds that fight unwanted microorganisms, also slowing down oxidative processes. In this sense, the objective of this work was to develop an active packaging based on breadfruit flour and basil essential oil, with antimicrobial properties, applied in the preservation of rabbit meat. Biodegradable films were produced by the Casting method with three formulations: control (oil-free), T1 (1% oil) and T2 (2% oil). The physicochemical properties of the films and their efficacy in preserving the meat under refrigeration (8 °C) for 10 days were evaluated. The films with essential oil showed higher moisture (63.56 - T1 and 61.72% - T2) and higher water solubility (75.29% - T1 and 84.82% - T2), favoring the release of active compounds. The mean thickness ranged from 0.16 mm in the control sample to 0.20 mm in T1-weighted sequences. In rabbit meat, the treatments with active films better preserved the moisture in T2 on the 5th day (74.61%), while the control showed variations. The pH was more stable at T3 on the 10th day (6.39). The ash contents increased slightly in the films with oil, reaching 2.54% in T2 on the 10th day. Aw ranged from 0.83 to 0.87, with no significant differences between treatments