Vanillic Acid-Loaded Cassava Porous Starch Reinforced PVA/κ-carrageenan Antioxidant-Active Coating for Meat Preservation

This study developed an antioxidant-active coating for meat preservation by integrating vanillic acid-loaded cassava porous starch (VA-CPS) into a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/κ-carrageenan (κ-Car) matrix. The structural characteris, water resistance, barrier properties and antioxidant capacity of the composite film were systemically analyzed. The results showed that VA-CPS dispersed uniformly within the film and primarily bonded to the matrix via hydrogen bonds, significantly enhancing the film’s hydrophobicity and thermal stability (P < 0.05). Compared to the pristine PVA/κ-Car film, the composite film exhibited reduced water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and oxygen permeability (OP) (P < 0.05), with the reductions negatively correlated to VA-CPS content (kWATR = -47.13, R2 = 0.97, P < 0.05; kOP = −5.5, R2 = 0.95, P < 0.05). The composite film also demonstrated excellent UV-blocking properties, achieving near-zero transmittancein at 200–300 nm. These improvements contributed to its strong antioxidant activity. At 15