Flexible Pouches Research Articles

Ultrasound enhanced steam and hot water pasteurization of pineapple and apple slices in flexible pouches

Ultrasound enhanced steam and hot water pasteurization of pineapple and apple slices in flexible pouches

Biopolymer-based edible packaging: a critical review on the biomaterials, formation, and applications on food products

Food substances are highly susceptible to spoilage due to their inherent properties and environmental factors during transit from farm to fork. Hence, it is necessary to protect the food from various factors by safeguarding it in proper packaging. The packaging materials include flexible pouches and rigid containers, and they have their own merits and demerits. Most of the packaging materials used nowadays are polymer-based, which takes a long time to degrade and poses a dangerous threat to terrestrial and aquatic life. Edible packaging evolved to be an alternative to conventional packaging due to its natural biopolymers, which are hyper-degradable and consumable. They exhibit improved barrier and organoleptic properties, mass transfer selectivity, and reduced migration properties of packaging ingredients into food and environmental pollution. They are classified as coatings, films, and pouches and can be used as either food wraps or heat-sealed into pouches that are applied directly on the food surface. Thus, edible packaging is a potential approach in the food packaging industry. This review explains in detail the biomaterials used for film preparation, various processes involved in film formation, different coating methods, and recent applications in the area of eco-friendly edible packaging.

The Environmental Impacts of Caesar Salad Packaging

There are at least 151 ways to uniquely package ingredients for a Caesar salad, and this research provides the environmental impacts of each so organizations can make more informed packaging decisions. This research examines the environmental impacts of salad packaging at the retail market based on the typical Caesar salad from the manufacturing gate to the post-consumer gate. A retail audit of salad packaging was conducted across the southeast USA in the summer of 2021, identifying 167 unique packaging types offered across four methods of sale: (1) whole packaged ingredients, (2) prepared packaged ingredients, (3) packaged salad kits, and (4) salad bar containers. Analysis of these packaged products yielded 26 unique materials that were analyzed within Trayak COMPASS life cycle analysis (LCA) software. One hundred and fifty-one possible salad packaging combinations were generated and assessed through various environmental impact measurements. A novel formula was developed that provides a standard score for each possible combination. For lettuce, heavier clamshells and tubs were more impactful than flexible bags. For cheese, flexible bags were less impactful than heavier, rigid packaging. For croutons, bag-in-box solutions were just as impactful as multi-layer flexible pouches. For dressings, impact corresponded with weight, where a flexible plastic pouch had less of an impact than plastic and glass bottles. Packaged kits and salad bar packaging were analyzed as well, determining bagged kits’ impacts were significantly lower than those of bowl kits. Five packages common to salad bars were analyzed, where coated paper had less of an impact than molded pulp and plastic clamshells. The value of this work can be leveraged by researchers and organizations who seek to make packaging decisions based on environmental impacts and consumers who seek to be more informed about the impacts of the packaging they purchase.

Effects of container type and size on thermal processing characteristics and B-vitamin retention of canned cat food.

Rigid cans were the traditional container for canned cat foods, but semi-rigid trays/tubs and flexible pouches are popular options as well. Despite this, little is published on the effects of canned cat food container characteristics on thermal processing and retention of B-vitamins. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the effects of container size and type on thermal processing and B-vitamin retention. Treatments were arranged in a factorial with two container sizes [small (85-99 g) and medium (156-198 g)] and three container types (flexible, semi-rigid, and rigid). A canned cat food formula was prepared, filled, and sealed into containers before retort processing to a heating cycle target lethality of 8 min. Internal retort and container temperatures were used to calculate accumulated lethality. Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, cobalamin, and moisture contents were analyzed in pre- and post-retort samples by commercial laboratories. Thermal processing metrics were analyzed (SAS v. 9.4; SAS Institute, Cary, NC) with the fixed effects of container size, container type, and their interaction. Dry matter basis B-vitamin contents were analyzed with container size, container type, processing stage, and all two-way and three-way interactions as fixed effects. Means were separated using Fisher's LSD at a P-value < 0.05. Total accumulated lethality was greater (P < 0.05) for semi-rigid and flexible containers (average 14.99 min) than for rigid containers (12.86 min). The greater processing of semi-rigid and flexible containers was likely influenced by required retort settings. Thiamin and riboflavin contents decreased (P < 0.05) by 30.4 and 18.3%, respectively, due to retort processing. Niacin, biotin, and cobalamin were not affected (P > 0.05) by processing. Processing increased (P < 0.05) pantothenic acid (9.1%), pyridoxine (22.6%), and folic acid (22.6%). This was likely caused by sampling or analytical variation. No interaction involving processing stage was significant for any B-vitamin (P > 0.05). B-vitamin retention was not influenced by differences in thermal processing caused by the packaging treatments. Thiamin and riboflavin were the only B-vitamins meaningfully impacted by processing and retention was not improved by any container characteristic.

Quality changes and experimental accelerated shelf‐life determination of ready‐to‐eat burgers made from striped catfish and salmon mince blend by thermal processing in retort pouches

Ready-to-eat (RTE) fish burgers were developed from the minced striped catfish (Pangasius hypophthalmus) and salmon (Salmo salar) mixed at the ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100 by thermal processing in flexible pouches using a water spray retort at a temperature of 121.1oC for 15 min. The RTE fish burgers were stored at the temperatures of 25, 35 and 45°C for 3 months. It was found that the diameter, weight, L* value and cohesiveness of the RTE fish burger decreased, while the a* ​​and b* values, hardness, chewiness and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values of the RTE fish burger increased with longer storage time and higher storage temperatures. Total viable count, yeast and mold and Clostridium perfringens were below 10 CFU/g (detection limit) and coliform was below 3 MPN/g during 3 month-storage. The shelf-life prediction of the RTE fish burgers using Accelerated Shelf-life Test (ASLT) was conducted. The times of product decay were assessed at 3.92 and 1.40 months at the storage temperatures of 35 and 45°C, respectively. The TBA value was used as the shelf-life index of the RTE fish burgers. The calculated shelf-life of the RTE fish burgers stored at 20 and 25°C using Q10 technique were 13.1 and 7.8 months, respectively.

Monitoring disinfection in the Covid-19 era. A reagent-free nanostructured smartphone-based device for the detection of oxidative disinfectants

In this work, a ready-to-use colorimetric device for oxidative disinfectants (i.e., H2O2, C2H4O3, and NaClO) detection has been developed and proved for the evaluation of disinfection treatments in the COVID-19 containment framework.The sensing element of the proposed colorimetric indicator consists of a transparent flexible PET substrate integrating gold and silver nanostructures. The nano-equipped indicator was integrated into different devices realized using a craft-cutting plotter taking advantage of adhesive/thermo-adhesive flexible pouches and filter paper. In particular, two devices are presented (i) a flexible multi-analysis sampling plate and (ii) a paper-based sampling pipette, for the determination of oxidant disinfectants concentration, evaluation of disinfection treatments by spraying/fogging, and for the analysis of disinfectant residues.The sensing strategy relies on the ability of the disinfectants to oxidize the silver nanostructures of the indicator substrate, producing a colorimetric variation monitorable by a smartphone, maximizing the sensitivity using a colored background. The proposed colorimetric assay occurs in 5 min and does not use external reagents; contact of the disinfectant with the sensing surface is the only requirement. The devices had very low limits of detection (∼1 ppb) and good reproducibility (RSD ≤ 2 %, n = 3) for direct disinfectants analysis. They were challenged for the evaluation of indoor disinfection treatments, allowing to evaluate spraying and fogging treatments, as well as residues monitoring.The here proposed system is disposable, low-cost both in therm of material and reagents (0.05 €) and instruments required, portable, and able to return information on the good practices recommended for environmental disinfection.

Minimising carbon and financial costs of steam sterilisation and packaging of reusable surgical instruments.

The aim of this study was to estimate the carbon footprint and financial cost of decontaminating (steam sterilization) and packaging reusable surgical instruments, indicating how that burden might be reduced, enabling surgeons to drive action towards net-zero-carbon surgery. Carbon footprints were estimated using activity data and prospective machine-loading audit data at a typical UK in-hospital sterilization unit, with instruments wrapped individually in flexible pouches, or prepared as sets housed in single-use tray wraps or reusable rigid containers. Modelling was used to determine the impact of alternative machine loading, opening instruments during the operation, streamlining sets, use of alternative energy sources for decontamination, and alternative waste streams. The carbon footprint of decontaminating and packaging instruments was lowest when instruments were part of sets (66-77 g CO2e per instrument), with a two- to three-fold increase when instruments were wrapped individually (189 g CO2e per instrument). Where 10 or fewer instruments were required for the operation, obtaining individually wrapped items was preferable to opening another set. The carbon footprint was determined significantly by machine loading and the number of instruments per machine slot. Carbon and financial costs increased with streamlining sets. High-temperature incineration of waste increased the carbon footprint of single-use packaging by 33-55 per cent, whereas recycling reduced this by 6-10 per cent. The absolute carbon footprint was dependent on the energy source used, but this did not alter the optimal processes to minimize that footprint. Carbon and financial savings can be made by preparing instruments as part of sets, integrating individually wrapped instruments into sets rather than streamlining them, efficient machine loading, and using low-carbon energy sources alongside recycling.

Shelf life prediction of oxygen‐sensitive products: The influence of moisture on prediction accuracy for freeze‐dried coffee

Optimised packaging requires that properties are matched to the protection requirements of food for its shelf life duration. Benefits include reduced packaging costs, use volumes, and potentially improved environmental performance. The ability to predict product shelf life in different materials can assist in selecting optimal packaging. However, the availability of such tools is limited, and risk for over packing exists. The aim with this work is to develop a prediction approach which can be applied to assist users to select more optimal packaging materials. Soluble coffee was used to develop the approach, where oxygen consumption of the product is used as a quality indicator. The effect of moisture content on O2 consumption was studied to determine its influence on prediction accuracy. Samples were prepared with different levels of moisture content. O2 consumption rates were measured, and a notable influence of moisture was observed. A model was developed to predict the O2 consumption of the product when packed in a pouch. The model considers oxygen and moisture permeation properties of the packaging film, O2 and moisture differential between the interior and exterior of the packaging, and the evolution of the O2 consumption rate as a function of moisture increase. To test model accuracy, coffee samples were packed in flexible pouches, and O2 consumption was measured which showed that predicted and measured values shared the same trend characteristics. We show that considering both moisture and O2 ingress simultaneously leads to more precise shelf life prediction as oxidation rate is influenced by moisture content.

Characterization and Enhancement of Package O2 Barrier against Oxidative Deterioration of Powdered Infant Formula

Powdered infant formula is susceptible to oxidation in the presence of oxygen. Even though the product is usually packaged in nitrogen atmosphere, the oxygen ingress through the package layer may occur in case of flexible pouches and affects the oxidation of the product. O2 barrier of the package is thus important variable to protect the product from oxidative deterioration. O2 barrier property was investigated for aluminum-laminated small pillow packs of 3.5×17.5 cm. Storage temperature and combination of primary and secondary packages were evaluated as variables affecting the barrier for conditions of empty pouch flushed with nitrogen. Apparent oxygen transmission rate of the primary package exposed to air was 2.32×10-3 mL (STP) atm-1 d-1 at 30°C and its temperature dependence could be explained by activation energy of 28.5 kJ mol-1 in Arrhenius relationship. The additional secondary package of nylon/PE film containing 20 primary packages was ineffective in modulating package O2 transmission and was only marginally helpful when combined with oxygen scavenger. The same was true in suppressing the product oxidation when the primary package was filled with 14 g of the formula.

Impact of Temperature Cycling and Isothermal Storage on the Quality of Acidic and Neutral Shelf-Stable Dairy Desserts Packaged in Flexible Pouches

The aims of the present study were, first, to identify the quality changes occurring in sterilized vanilla and strawberry pudding during storage at 20 °C; second, to understand the effect of storage temperature on aging; and, third, to determine if temperature could be used as an accelerating factor for shelf life or stability studies. Shelf-stable pudding was produced industrially and packaged in flexible pouches. Different ingredients were used to produce strawberry and vanilla pudding, and the resulting pH was 4.1 and 6.5, respectively. Pudding pouches were kept for 7 days at 20 °C and stored for up to 112 days at − 18, 4, 20, and 30 °C, or cycled repeatedly between − 18 and 20 °C, 4 and 20 °C, and 30 and 20 °C with a frequency of two cycles per week. Color, pH, apparent viscosity, flow behavior, and fluorescence spectra measurements were conducted up to 112 days of storage. The most relevant indicators to monitor quality changes in vanilla pudding were η, pH, b*, and tryptophan emission spectra, and in strawberry pudding, a*, b*, and riboflavin, tryptophan, and vitamin A emission spectra. Indeed, the temperature of 30 °C was identified as the most suitable accelerating factor for accelerated aging tests regarding changes in pH, color, riboflavin, and tryptophan fluorescence spectra of pudding, while cycles of 4/20 °C and isothermal storage at 4 °C were the most appropriate tests to accelerate changes in apparent viscosity of pudding.

Leakage assessment of flexible pouches using dye penetration test with correlation to modeled bacterial aerosol challenge test.

Package integrity is a primary measure of a package's ability to keep the contained product inside and to keep potential contaminants out. In this study, injecting and vacuum dye penetration methods were applied for the assessment of the package integrity of retortable flexible pouches having various sizes of micro-channels. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of dye penetration as a physical test that can be incorporated into a stability protocol and compare the results of the dye penetration test with those from the bacterial aerosol challenge test. The study found a direct correlation between the results of the vacuum dye penetration test and those of the microbial test. The critical leak size that can ensure the flexible package integrity was 15μm. To detect defective pouches, the dye vacuum testing had a sensitivity similar to that of bioaerosol challenge test.

New Technology Enhances the Sensory Experience of Flexible Pouches

Plastics EngineeringVolume 73, Issue 4 p. 28-31 Flexible Packaging New Technology Enhances the Sensory Experience of Flexible Pouches Innovations brings smell, texture and sound to flexible, stand-up packaging Nancy D. Lamontagne, Nancy D. LamontagneSearch for more papers by this author Nancy D. Lamontagne, Nancy D. LamontagneSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 April 2017 https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1941-9635.2017.tb01692.xAboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume73, Issue4April 2017Pages 28-31 RelatedInformation

태국 플라스틱 포장산업 현황에 관한 고찰

This survey was performed by Kasetsart University Department of Packaging and Materials Technology on Food Packaging Industry in Thailand, was to conduct on the status and trends of food packaging industry to obtain the information on the plastic of packaging materials in food packaging in Thailand. The survey conducted by field visits, questionnaires, interviews and personal communication as well as published data from different sources. The ration of plastic consumption among the industries, packaging is showed 49%, textile 15% and construction 11% respectively. Numbers of company among packaging industry, film processing company is 503, injection molding is 231, blow molding is 216. Production volume of PP, HDPE, LLDPE and LDPE is 1,950 mil. ton, 1,920 mil. ton, 1,150 mil. ton and 685 mil. ton, respectively. Import of plastic 16,668 mil. baht and export is 33,778 mil. baht. Plastic consumption is plastic bottle and flexible pouch, mainly being used in beverage industry. The past decade as it has been replaced by flexible pouches and aseptic cartons in Thailand.

Heat penetration attributes of milkfish (Chanos chanos) thermal processed in flexible pouches: a comparative study between steam application and water immersion.

The difference in the heating penetration characteristics of product processed in retort by steam–air application and water immersion was studied. Fresh milkfish (Chanos chanos) packed in dry pack and in oil medium, both in flexible pouches, was thermal processed to minimum F 0 value of 7.77 at 121.1°C. Heat penetration values were recorded for each minute of processing with the aid Ellab (TM 9608, Denmark) temperature recorder. Retort come up time to achieve 121.1°C was observed to be less in steam–air which invariably led to a lower Ball's process time (B) and the total process time (T) observed in steam–air as compared to water immersion. Obtained data were plotted on a semi‐logarithmic paper with temperature deficit on x‐axis against time on the y‐axis.

Assessing of Flexible Packaging Integrity: Using the Aerosolization Bacteria

Package integrity is a critical factor to ensure that product sterility is maintained over its entire shelf life. An exposure chamber method was developed to determine the integrity of flexible packaging systems, i.e. flexible multilayer linear low‐density polyethylene/nylon pouches with a 100, 50, 25 or 15 µm micro‐channel with 5 mm length defect in the sealing area. Viable cells of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli have been utilized as model organisms. The aerosol was generated by a nebulizer, about 2.0 × 107 CFU m−3 concentration inside the test chamber. The results demonstrated that defect pouches with a 100, 50 or 25 µm channel leakage exposed to microbiologically challenging conditions could not maintain the sterility of their contents. Micro‐channels with 15 µm diameter can be detected as the critical micro‐channel dimension for bacterial penetration for flexible pouches. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Browning and Ascorbic Acid Degradation in Meals Ready-to-Eat Pear Rations in Accelerated Shelf Life

Pears in syrup in flexible pouches are part of the U.S. Army's Meals Ready-to-Eat rations, which are expected to have a shelf life of 3 years at 26.7C. However, browning during storage was reducing the shelf life. Pear pouches were subjected to complete headspace removal and rotation during retorting for extended shelf life of 45 days at 48.9C. The pears were tested for browning, ascorbic acid and headspace composition during storage. A combination of complete headspace removal and rotation of pouches during retorting increased the acceptability of pear by decreasing ascorbic acid degradation and browning. Aerobic and anaerobic ascorbic acid degradation reactions took place in the pears, with most of the aerobic degradation beginning during retorting. A lag period of several days between different stages of ascorbic acid degradation was detected. Finally, the ascorbic acid loss followed zero-order kinetics, with a reaction rate dependent on the initial concentration. Practical Applications This paper highlights the importance of minimizing the headspace volume during vacuum packaging and enhancing the application of heat transfer during retorting to improve the preservation of color of thermally processed pears in flexible pouches. This process also serves to reduce the ascorbic acid degradation during storage.

Some Recent Developments in Food Packaging

The paper deals with various types of recently developed food packing materials specially suitable for dehydrated food-stuffs. Though mettalic cans continue to enjoy important place in packing industry, laminated flexible pouches of desired machanical strength and durability have also been found to be equally suitable with less weight and cost.

Peel Test Comparison

Three standardized peel test variations; unrestrained, 90 o restrained and 180 o restrained, for testing the integrity of edge sealed flexible pouches are compared in this article. A total of 30 samples of identically sealed pouches were tested for each method using standards set forth in ASTM F88/F88M-09. The three methods yielded consistent differences ranging from 40% between the 90 o restrained and unrestrained methods to 190% between the 90 o restrained and 180 o unrestrained methods.

Evaluation of a Non‐destructive High‐voltage Technique for the Detection of Pinhole Leaks in Flexible and Semi‐rigid Packages for Foods

This study evaluated the capabilities of a high‐voltage technique for the detection of pinhole leaks by using flexible pouches and semi‐rigid cups for foods. This evaluation was performed by measuring the discharge voltage when high voltages ranging from 0.25 to 10 kV were applied to sample packages. The results showed that package contact surface area, film thickness, food type and electrical conductivity are significant factors affecting the detection of pinhole leaks in flexible pouches by a high‐voltage leak detection (HVLD) system within the ranges tested (p &lt; 0.05). For plastic cups with plastic‐laminated and foil‐laminated lids, the headspace inside a cup had the greatest effect followed by dielectric constant of lid films, electrical conductivity of foods and pinhole diameter (p &lt; 0.01). In general, the HVLD system can detect pinholes as small as 10 µm in both plastic‐laminated and foil‐laminated pouches and lid cups, even at worst‐case scenario conditions, including liquid, semi‐solid and solid foods with 0.85 aw. Because of high voltages applied, however, delamination in foil‐laminated films occurred when an applied voltage was greater than 3.5 kV, which resulted in increased oxygen permeability. Statistical z‐test analysis of results from blind studies showed that the HVLD technique is significantly effective in determining defective pouches and cups with pinhole leaks as small as 10 µm (p &lt; 0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that the HVLD technique is a promising non‐destructive and on‐line method to detect pinhole defects, which may be applicable to a wide range of hermetically sealed packages. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Simple System for Isothermal DNA Amplification Coupled to Lateral Flow Detection

Infectious disease diagnosis in point-of-care settings can be greatly improved through integrated, automated nucleic acid testing devices. We have developed an early prototype for a low-cost system which executes isothermal DNA amplification coupled to nucleic acid lateral flow (NALF) detection in a mesofluidic cartridge attached to a portable instrument. Fluid handling inside the cartridge is facilitated through one-way passive valves, flexible pouches, and electrolysis-driven pumps, which promotes a compact and inexpensive instrument design. The closed-system disposable prevents workspace amplicon contamination. The cartridge design is based on standard scalable manufacturing techniques such as injection molding. Nucleic acid amplification occurs in a two-layer pouch that enables efficient heat transfer. We have demonstrated as proof of principle the amplification and detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) genomic DNA in the cartridge, using either Loop Mediated Amplification (LAMP) or the Exponential Amplification Reaction (EXPAR), both coupled to NALF detection. We envision that a refined version of this cartridge, including upstream sample preparation coupled to amplification and detection, will enable fully-automated sample-in to answer-out infectious disease diagnosis in primary care settings of low-resource countries with high disease burden.