Abstract
Modified calcium carbonates (MCC) are inorganic mineral-based particles with a large surface area, which is enlarged by their porous internal structure consisting of hydroxyapatite and calcium carbonate crystal structures. Such materials have high potential for use as carriers for active substances such as oxygen scavenging agents. Oxygen scavengers are applied to packaging to preserve the quality of oxygen-sensitive products. This study investigated the potential of MCC as a novel carrier system for unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), with the intention of developing an oxygen scavenger. Linoleic acid (LA) and oleic acid (OA) were loaded on MCC powder, and the loaded MCC particles were characterized and studied for their oxygen scavenging activity. For both LA and OA, amounts of 20 wt% loading on MCC were found to provide optimal surface area/volume ratios. Spreading UFAs over large surface areas of 31.6 and 49 m2 g−1 MCC enabled oxygen exposure and action on a multitude of molecular sites, resulting in oxygen scavenging rates of 12.2 ± 0.6 and 1.7 ± 0.2 mL O2 d−1 g−1, and maximum oxygen absorption capacities of >195.6 ± 13.5 and >165.0 ± 2.0 mL g−1, respectively. Oxygen scavenging activity decreased with increasing humidity (37–100% RH) and increased with rising temperatures (5–30 °C). Overall, highly porous MCC was concluded to be a suitable UFA carrier for oxygen scavenging applications in food packaging.
Highlights
Oxygen can negatively affect the quality of packaged food, as it can promote oxidative or microbial spoilage of the food product
Since the oxygen scavenging rates of modified calcium carbonate (MCC) loaded with unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) are very low at 5 ◦ C and high relative humidity, such scavenging systems are likely to be unsuitable for the refrigerated food products
For dry products with low relative humidity and stored at room temperature, MCC loaded with UFAs, especially with linoleic acid (LA), have high potential to be used as oxygen scavengers
Summary
Oxygen can negatively affect the quality of packaged food, as it can promote oxidative or microbial spoilage of the food product. This can lead to color change, loss of nutritional value or sensorial alteration of the food due to the formation of by-products, which can produce off flavours and undesired odours [1,2]. Oxygen may diffuse through the packaging material while it is being stored, which may still result in a decrease in food quality. Oxygen scavengers have the potential to remove the residual oxygen from a package, as well as any oxygen that diffuses through the packaging material at a later time [3,4]. Several oxygen scavengers have been developed and characterized [4,5], most commercially available oxygen scavengers are iron-based sachets [6]
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