Fresh beef loin was packaged with 0–2% silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) incorporated agar films to investigate the effect of antimicrobial packaging on meat quality changes in terms of microbiological and physicochemical properties. Raw beef cuts were directly inoculated with Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 and stored in the air-sealed packages combined with the agar films at 5 °C for 15 days. Beef samples showed low susceptibility to the agar/AgNP composite films, resulting in about one log reduction of the inoculated pathogenic bacteria in viable cell count during storage. However, the composite films could partly prevent beef samples from directly contacting oxygen, maintaining the meat color and retarding oxidative rancidity. Experimental results suggested that the AgNP-incorporated agar films can potentially be applied in packaged raw meats as an active food packaging material to inhibit microbial and physicochemical quality deterioration during distribution and sale.

To reduce the pathogenic microorganisms of fresh‐cut vegetables, various sanitizers applied at different concentrations and against four different bacteria inoculated in high or low initial loads were tested on shredded cabbage. The bacteria were reduced by 1 log CFU g⁻¹ after being exposed to over 100 ppm sodium hypochlorite, over 1% hydrogen peroxide, over 50 ppm peroxyacetic acid, and three types of electrolyzed water (EW) for 1 min. When the efficacy of the sanitizer was compared in the low initial bacterial load of 10³–10⁴ CFU g⁻¹, a significant reduction in the inoculated bacteria was observed with the acidified EW treatment, followed by the 50 ppm peroxyacetic acid and the neutral EW treatment, which was more efficient than the 100 ppm sodium hypochlorite treatment. The efficacy of the various sanitizers used could be also influenced by different bacterial species.