In response to the growing environmental concerns over conventional plastic packaging, this study developed soy protein isolate (SPI) films incorporated with sea buckthorn pomace (SBP), a bioactive-rich agro-industrial byproduct, for use in active meat packaging. Biocomposite films were fabricated via solution casting with SBP concentrations of 0-5% (w/w). Incorporation of 3% SBP led to a significant enhancement in material properties: tensile strength (TS) increased by 45% (to 5.5 ± 0.4 MPa), Young’s modulus (YM) doubled (to 85.7 ± 6.2 MPa), water vapor permeability (WVP) decreased by 30% (to 1.50 ± 0.08 × 10⁻ 1 ⁰ g·m/m 2 ·s·Pa), and oxygen permeability dropped by ∼33% (to 3.9 ± 0.2 × 10⁻ 1 ⁴ cm 3 ·m/m 2 ·s·Pa) compared to control films. DPPH and ABTS assays revealed that antioxidant activity reached 65.8% and 75.2%, respectively, for 5% SBP films. Application to pork loin preservation at 4°C over 15 days demonstrated that SPI-SBP 3% films suppressed lipid oxidation by over 50% (Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) reduced from 1.85 to 0.85 mg MDA/kg) and curtailed microbial growth (Total viable count (TVC) reduced by ∼2 log CFU/g), while also minimizing weight loss. These outcomes confirm the dual role of SBP as a structural and functional enhancer, reinforcing the utility of SPI-SBP films as biodegradable, bioactive alternatives to petroleum-based meat packaging, with added value from agro-industrial waste valorization.
Li et al. (Sat,) studied this question.