Current State of the Art and Recent Innovations for Antimicrobial Food Packaging

Abstract

Antimicrobial packaging encompasses any packaging technique(s) used to control microbial growth in a food product. Antimicrobial packaging can be in the form of a film or coating. Films can be composite and coatings can be applied to the surface of foods. The two purposes for using antimicrobial packaging are to inactivate foodborne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms present in food products, thus enhancing their safety and extending their shelf life. An antimicrobial packaging system consists of three components: (1) Base materials to form film or coating; (2) Antimicrobials to reduce or inhibit microorganisms; and (3) Methods to making and applying films or coatings. In this chapter, we review the various types of antimicrobial food packaging from the currently published literature, summarize the basic materials and methods used for antimicrobial packaging, and also discuss the recent innovations in the research and development of antimicrobial food packaging systems.