Thermally-triggered L-menthol release system based on starch sodium octenyl succinate/Nisin-stabilized high internal phase Pickering Emulsion: Development, characterization and meatball coating application

Temperature malfunctions that occur frequently during cold chain transportation threaten the shelf life of meat products. This study developed a thermosensitive high-internal-phase Pickering emulsion (HIPE) co-stabilized by starch sodium octenyl succinate (SSOS) and nisin for encapsulating L-menthol, aiming to enhance the shelf-life of pork meatballs under cold-chain interruptions. SSOS-Nisin composite particles (SNCP) exhibited excellent interfacial stabilization via hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic forces, forming HIPEs with tunable viscosity and freeze-thaw-triggered L-menthol release. Rheological and stability analyses confirmed that the optimum viscosity of 1.89 Pa s was achieved with 10 % SNCP-stabilized HIPEs, which also exhibited excellent colloidal stability. In simulated cold-chain failure scenarios, freeze-thaw cycles induced rapid L-menthol release, achieving complete eradication of foodborne pathogenic microorganisms within 6 h. Applied to pork meatballs, HIPEs loaded with 160 mg/mL L-menthol significantly suppressed microbial growth, delayed lipid oxidation, maintained pH stability and hardness retention under bacterial contamination. These findings demonstrate the potential of thermoresponsive HIPEs as intelligent antimicrobial coatings for meat preservation.