Functionality of ultra-high barrier metal oxide-coated polymer films for in-package, thermally sterilized food products

Abstract

Abstract Defects in metal oxide (MO)-coated polymer films increase their oxygen and water vapor transmission rates (OTRs, WVTRs), lowering the shelf-life of packaged food. In this study, we investigated the effects of thermal processing on six multilayered MO-coated films: MO-A (MO-coated PET(12 μm)//Oriented-Nylon 6 (15 μm)//Cast-Polypropylene (50 μm)), MO-B (SiOx-coated PET(12 μm)//Oriented-Nylon 6 (15 μm)//Cast-Polypropylene (60 μm)), MO-C (Overlayer/AlOx-organic-coated PET(13 μm)//Oriented-Nylon 6 (15 μm)//Cast-Polypropylene (50 μm)), MO-D (Overlayer/SiOx-coated PET(12 μm)//Oriented-Nylon 6 (15 μm)//Cast-Polypropylene (60 μm)), MO-E (AlOx-coated PET(12 μm)//AlOx-coated PET(12 μm)//Oriented-Nylon 6 (15 μm)//Cast-Polypropylene (70 μm)) and MO-F (AlOx-coated PET(12 μm)//AlOx-coated PET(12 μm)//AlOx-coated PET(12 μm)//Oriented-Nylon 6 (15 μm)//Cast-Polypropylene (70 μm)). Water filled film pouches were processed with a pilot-scale retort (30 and 40 min at 121 °C; F0 = 6–9 min) and microwave-assisted thermal sterilization unit (25-kW, single-mode, 915 MHz MATS system; F0 = 10.9 min). Subsequently, the pouches were emptied, filled with a color-changing oxygen sensor and stored at 23 ± 2 °C for 180-days. MO-F with three AlOx-coated PET layers, showed no oxygen permeation before and after retort and MATS processes. Compared to other films, MO-F exhibited low WVTRs after processing. Oxygen sensor in MO-F changed color at limited locations, indicating fewer defects. Confocal laser scanning microscope and scanning electron microscope images also showed less deterioration in MO-F. The dielectric loss factor (er) for MO-F was significantly less than other films (P