Potential of Polyamide Nanofibers With Natamycin, Rosemary Extract, and Green Tea Extract in Active Food Packaging Development: Interactions With Food Pathogens and Assessment of Microbial Risks Elimination.

Simona Lencova,Kamila Zdenkova,Marcela Munzarova,Katerina Demnerova,Hana Stiborova

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.857423

Simona Lencova, Kamila Zdenkova + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.857423

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Abstract

Increasing microbial safety and prolonging the shelf life of products is one of the major challenges in the food industry. Active food packaging made from nanofibrous materials enhanced with antimicrobial substances is considered a promising way. In this study, electrospun polyamide (PA) nanofibrous materials functionalized with 2.0 wt% natamycin (NAT), rosemary extract (RE), and green tea extract (GTE), respectively, were prepared as active packaging and tested for the food pathogens Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, and Staphylococcus aureus. The PAs exhibited: (i) complete retention of bacterial cells reaching 6.0–6.4 log10removal, (ii) antimicrobial activity with 1.6–3.0 log10suppression, and (iii) antibiofilm activity with 1.7–3.0 log10suppression. The PAs prolonged the shelf life of chicken breast; up to 1.9 log10(CFU/g) suppression of total viable colonies and 2.1 log10(CFU/g) suppression of L. monocytogenes were observed after 7 days of storage at 7°C. A beneficial effect on pH and sensory quality was verified. The results confirm microbiological safety and benefits of PA/NAT, PA/RE, and PA/GTE and their potential in developing functional and ecological packaging.

Highlights

Nowadays, great emphasis is placed on the quality, freshness, and safety of food
We present a unique and comprehensive design for the development of microbiologically safe nanomaterials that reduce the risks of foodborne infections and intoxications and can be used as food packaging or a packaging component (Figure 1)
To be able to evaluate all the microbiological benefits of active food packaging, the following properties should be considered (Figure 1): (i) the retention of undesirable microorganisms from the environment, that is, packaging acting as a barrier, (ii) evidence of antibacterial activity which prevents the growth of pathogens already present in the food or captured from the external environment, and (iii) inhibition of the biofilm formation of these pathogens

Summary

Introduction

Great emphasis is placed on the quality, freshness, and safety of food. Indisputably, food packaging plays the main role in food protection. Such packaging has active functions that go well beyond providing an inert passive barrier and protecting food from outside contamination by light, gases, dusts, odors, water, and microorganisms. Nanofibers with their unique properties, such as air permeability and at the same time the retention of unwanted elements from the external environment, may be used as suitable packaging. Their air permeability can be affected and controlled primarily by the fabric weight and further by the morphology of nanofibers, with surface density and fiber diameter (Abuzade et al, 2012). Through interaction with the food product itself, nanofibrous active packages can extend shelf life without the need for preservatives and can prevent the spread of foodborne pathogens (Labuza and Breene, 1989)

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