Microbiological aspects of thermally processed foods

Antimicrobial function of some nano and nanocomposite materials has long been recognized and exploited in various industries, including the packaging sector. Nanocomoposite antimicrobial systems are particularly effective, because of the high surface-to-volume ratio and enhanced surface reactivity of the nanosized antimicrobial agents, making them able to inactivate microorganisms more effectively than their micro- or macro-scale counterparts. Commonly used or tested antimicrobial nano and nanocomposite materials include metal ions (silver, copper, gold, platinum), metal oxide (titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, magnesium oxide), and organically modified nanoclay (quaternary ammonium-modified montmorillonite [MMT]). Natural biopolymers (chitosan), natural antimicrobial agents (nisin, thymol, carvacrol, isothiocyanate, antibiotics), enzymes (peroxidase, lysozyme), and synthetic antimicrobial agents and organic acids (quaternary ammonium salts, EDTA, propionic, benzoic, sorbic acids) are also utilized to provide antimicrobial function. In addition, various combinations of such antimicrobials are exploited by incorporating into packaging materials expecting their synergistic effect. The novel nanocomposite packaging materials with antimicrobial functions have a high potential for an active food packaging.

Polysaccharide-based food packaging and intelligent packaging applications: A comprehensive review

Sustainable polysaccharide-based materials for intelligent packaging

Food wastage is a major concern for health, agriculture, environment and beyond. The existing preservation techniques may still display shortcomings, especially on product and taste alteration. Thus, active packaging has been gaining interest as it involves the incorporation of active agents into the packaging material to extend shelf life while still maintaining pristine quality. Metal–organic framework (MOF) is among the emerging active packaging approaches involving a hybrid porous system made of metal ion and organic ligand. Usually loaded in a composite system due to self‐quenching and aggregation/agglomeration tendency, the naturally renewable cellulose (derivative) made an excellent MOF carrier. However, a systematic/comprehensive review on the extensive prospects of MOF‐doped cellulose on specifically active packaging—a topic of high importance in the food packaging field—is still lacking. This paper summarized an array of material selection of inorganic components, organic components, matrices and additives used in MOF‐based active packaging of the past decade. Focusing on the recent development of cellulose‐MOF active food packaging, the characterizations, challenges and prospective outlook were discussed afterwards. We highlighted the significance of the aforesaid aspects in accomplishing an ideal active food packaging based on MOF (with high loading yet an acceptable recyclability and toxicity limit) and cellulose‐based matrix (with both excellent porosity and mechanical strengths). This critical review is hoped to contribute as one of the guidelines in designing MOF‐cellulose active food packaging.

Food packaging offers essential food safety to the consumers. Conventional plastic-based food packaging offers only ordinary physical protection and may sometimes accelerate plastic pollution. Approximately one-third of all packaged foods are known to spoil in the supply chain mainly because of ordinary food packaging. Active, smart, intelligent, and nanocomposite food packaging measures offer many advantages over conventional food packing to retain quality while ensuring extended shelf-life. Natural fruits, vegetables, and tea are abundant source of polyphenols. Notably, recent trends in research demonstrate the utilization of natural polyphenols sourced from food-waste materials for sustainable use in active/smart/intelligent/nanocomposite food packaging. In this narrative review, we explore studies on active, smart, and intelligent food packaging films prepared using natural and food-waste polyphenols. The active packaging films/pads prepared using food-waste polyphenols and fruit polyphenols offer excellent antibacterial, antioxidant, antibrowning, and health-friendly effects. Thus, active, smart, and intelligent packaging materials using natural and food-waste polyphenols help to extend the shelf life of food and ensure minimal wastage of packed food. In addition, some of the active packaging films are edible while some others are biodegradable. In conclusion, the present review is expected to be helpful for promoting more sustainable use of food-waste-polyphenol-based active, smart, and intelligent food packing research.

Microbial spoilage and oxidation are significant causes of food deterioration, contributing to food waste of up to 30%. To mitigate these losses, active food packaging is an effective solution. Considering the excellent properties of nanofibers produced by electrospinning, integrating active food packaging functionality with nanofiber technology offers an ideal approach enhancing preservation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in the field, covering nature of active ingredients, consumer-driven rationale for adopting active packaging, advantages and disadvantages of electrospinning compared to other packaging production methods, types of polymers suitable for use, potential areas of application, and relevant regulatory frameworks. Active packaging, particularly through electrospinning, offers unique benefits, such as a high surface-to-volume ratio, controlled release of active agents, and improved encapsulation efficiency compared to conventional packaging methods such as extrusion and dip-coating, which are examined in this study. Both natural and synthetic polymers, as well as their combinations, offer a wide range of applications, allowing for the incorporation of essential oils, phenolic compounds, and active nanoparticles to extend the shelf life of various food products. Following regulatory authorities, both EFSA and FDA have guidelines for the use of nanomaterials in food packaging. However, a major challenge to the industrial adoption of electrospinning is its low production capacity and the limited availability of commercially viable packaging solutions. Undoubtedly, electrospinning is expected to become the preferred method for producing food packaging in the future. Educating consumers and providing clear labeling can help overcome potential biases against active packaging. Most importantly, this transition could play a crucial role in reducing food waste.

Research and development on innovative packaging materials have advanced significantly to safeguard packaged food against microbial contamination and oxidation. Active packaging has recently developed as a practical approach to reducing oxidation and microbiological growth in packaged goods, extending their shelf life and protecting consumers from potential harm. Active food packaging includes O2, CO2 scavengers, moisture absorbers, U. V. barriers, and antimicrobial agents. Various antimicrobial agents, such as nitrates and benzoic acids, are incorporated into food packaging formulations. Consumers demand natural antimicrobials over chemical/synthetic ones, such as bacteriocins, bacteriophages, and essential oils. Bacteriophages (viruses) have emerged as a feasible option for decontaminating and eliminating infections from food sources. Most importantly, these viruses can target specific foodborne pathogens without harming helpful bacteria or infecting humans and livestock. Fortifying bacteriophages into food packaging films will not only kill specific food microorganisms but has also evolved as a new weapon to combat antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) issues. The present review summarises recent developments in active antimicrobial packaging focused particularly on bacteriophage food packaging applications and advantages, drawbacks, and future trends for active food packaging.

Background: Traditional packaging will be shifting to innovative packaging due to significantly growing to new trend following increasing consumers awareness correlated with food safety, quality and traceability. Consumers need real time information about food condition which define shelf life such as physiological process, chemical process, physical process, microbiological aspect and infestation. Through the proper application of packaging system, this requirement can be managed to give functional properties to packaging such as prolonged shelf life, control, identification and monitoring food safety and quality. Smart packaging is the part of innovative packaging which give synergism functional properties between active and intelligent packaging. System, material and technologies which applied in smart packaging will bring advantage to fulfill consumer needed.Scope and approach: The application of smart packaging in the food industry requires an appropriate, effective and efficient mapping and management strategy so that the benefits can be felt in a sustainable manner. This mapping and management strategy can be carried out by assessing the main factors that support smart packaging applications in food products. Factors that need to be reviewed more deeply include i) understanding the difference between innovative and traditional packaging; ii) the concept of smart packaging as part of innovative packaging; iii) consumer perspective on smart packaging; iv) smart packaging function; v) the challenge of implementing smart packaging.Key finding and conclusion: Implementation smart packaging using appropriate strategy will have positive impact on supply chain sustainability, quality improvement, safety, traceability, authentication, integration and can be used as an alternative to the use of food preservatives and additives. Strategy implementation must be considerate smart packaging concept which bring consumer perspective about benefit and value adding functional properties of smart packaging. Smart packaging has a functional value that can be categorized based on system, material and techniques. The selection of packaging materials, technology and packaging techniques must be suitable with characteristics and categories of food to provide method which can manage and maintain smart packaging in food application. Application smart packaging in food has challenges which arise from a number of obstacles encountered, including difficulties in increasing production scale, incorporation of materials, devices and systems into packaging, determining commercial performance indications, increasing production costs, food safety related to the contact of packaging materials with food products and consumer acceptance. These obstacles can be overcome properly if the management strategy for implementing smart packaging is planned in a comprehensive manner so that parties involved in the food supply chain (consumers, distributors and producers) experience optimal benefits Keyword: smart packaging, intelligent packaging, active packaging

In recent decades, interest in sustainable food packaging systems with additional functionality, able to increase the shelf life of products, has grown steadily. Following this trend, the present review analyzes the state of the art of this active renewable packaging. The focus is on antimicrobial systems containing nanocellulose and chitosan, as support for the incorporation of essential oils. These are the most sustainable and readily available options to produce completely natural active packaging materials. After a brief overview of the different active packaging technologies, the main features of nanocellulose, chitosan, and of the different essential oils used in the field of active packaging are introduced and described. The latest findings about the nanocellulose‐ and chitosan‐based active packaging are then presented. The antimicrobial effectiveness of the different solutions is discussed, focusing on their effect on other material properties. The effect of the different inclusion strategies is also reviewed considering both in vivo and in vitro studies, in an attempt to understand more promising solutions and possible pathways for further development. In general, essential oils are very successful in exerting antimicrobial effects against the most diffused gram‐positive and gram‐negative bacteria, and affecting other material properties (tensile strength, water vapor transmission rate) positively. Due to the wide variety of biopolymer matrices and essential oils available, it is difficult to create general guidelines for the development of active packaging systems. However, more attention should be dedicated to sensory analysis, release kinetics, and synergetic action of different essential oils to optimize the active packaging on different food products. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Active packaging is a novel strategy for maintaining the shelf life of products and ensuring their safety, freshness, and integrity that has emerged with the consumer demand for safer, healthier, and higher quality food. Nanofibers have received a lot of attention for the application in active food packaging due to their high specific surface area, high porosity, and high loading capacity of active substances. Three common methods (electrospinning, solution blow spinning, and centrifugal spinning) for the preparation of nanofibers in active food packaging and their influencing parameters are presented, and advantages and disadvantages between these methods are compared. The main natural and synthetic polymeric substrate materials for the nanofiber preparation are discussed; and the application of nanofibers in active packaging is elaborated. The current limitations and future trends are also discussed. There have been many studies on the preparation of nanofibers using substrate materials from different sources for active food packaging. However, most of these studies are still in the laboratory research stage. Solving the issues of preparation efficiency and cost of nanofibers is the key to their application in commercial food packaging.

Short communication: Effect of active food packaging materials on fluid milk quality and shelf life

Computer-Based On-Line Assessment of Sterilizing Value and Heat Distribution in Retort for Canning Process

Part 1 Types and roles of active and intelligent packaging: active and intelligent packaging: an introduction Oxygen, ethylene and other scavengers Antimicrobial food packaging Non-migratory bioactive polymers (NMBP) in food packaging Time-temperature indicators (TTIs) The use of freshness indicators in packaging Packaging-flavour interactions Moisture regulation. Part 2 Developments in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP): Novel MAP applications for fresh-prepared produce MAP, product safety and nutritional quality Reducing pathogen risks in MAP-prepared produce Detecting leaks in modified atmosphere packaging Combining MAP with other preservation techniques Integrating MAP with new germicidal techniques Improving MAP through conceptual models. Part 3 Novel packaging and particular products: Active packaging in practice: meat fish Active packaging and colour control: the case of meat The case of fruit and vegetables. Part 4 General issues: Optimizing packaging Legislative issues relating to active and intelligent packaging Recycling packaging materials Green plastics for food packaging Integrating intelligent packaging, storage and distribution Testing consumer responses to new packaging concepts MAP performance under dynamic temperature conditions.

Alizarin: Prospects and sustainability for food safety and quality monitoring applications

For some time, traditional food packaging has not been able to meet the current market demand in some segments. This is mainly due to the advancing market globalization, increasing product complexity, the changing and increasingly high expectations and needs of customers, increasing requirements for monitoring packaging materials and, consequently, food safety, as well as the revival of national and international initiatives to support the circular economy and minimize the carbon footprint of manufactured products. Therefore, smart packaging with increased functionality has become indispensable. On the one hand, this solution allows for the offering or adaptation of products that meet the stricter national and international regulatory requirements (in particular for food safety) and allows a tracking from the cradle to the grave; on the other hand, it can serve as a way to expand markets in the context of globalization. Moreover attention should be paid to the development of knowledge on environmental protection and the increasing environmental awareness of consumers. In connection with the above, in recent years there has been an increase in interest in the design and production of new packaging for food products based on the latest technical and technological solutions. It is primarily intelligent and active packaging that should be mentioned here. Hence, the aim of the article, as well as that of our own conducted research, was to analyze consumer attitudes and behaviors in the field of modern food packaging, as well as to check the level of awareness of consumers from Eastern Poland in relation to innovative active and intelligent packaging in the food industry. In addition, the intermediate aim was also to identify other factors influencing the attractiveness of food packaging and, consequently, increasing the willingness to buy them. To achieve these aims, a literature study was carried out, as well as empirical research using the diagnostic survey method, conducted among the inhabitants of South-Eastern Poland. Based on our own research, it can be concluded that the level of knowledge of the essence of intelligent and active packaging in Eastern Poland is still at a low level. Among the other factors increasing the attractiveness of packaging for food products, contemporary consumers from the analyzed region of Poland indicated primarily their environmental friendliness, the possibility of recycling, as well as the readability and transparency of the information contained on the packaging.