Package Research Articles

Characterization of exopolysaccharide / starch composite film incorporated with TiO2 nanoparticles and its application in chilled meat preservation

Multifunctional food packaging composite films were prepared using Pediococcus acidilactici J1 exopolysaccharide (EPS), potato starch (PS) and TiO2 nanoparticles by casting method. The microstructure, physicochemical properties and antibacterial activity of EPS/PS composite films with different weight ratio of TiO2 nanoparticles were characterized. Transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed the uniform distribution of TiO2 nanoparticles in the EPS/PS matrix. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicated that the interaction between polymers and nanoparticles through non-covalent bonds. When TiO2 nanoparticles were added at 1 % (wt), the composite film had higher barrier properties against water vapor and UV–vis light, and better mechanical properties then EPS/PS film. Notably, EPS/PS/1%TiO2 composite film exhibited good antioxidant and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Through the analysis of the quality indexes and microbial community structure during the storage of chilled meat, the composite film slowed the oxidation rate of chilled meat and inhibited the growth of dominant spoilage bacteria, effectively extending its shelf life. All results suggested that EPS/PS/1%TiO2 composite film could serve as an effective packaging material for chilled meat, providing a novel approach to solve its limited shelf-life problem.

Fabrication of bamboo nanocellulose fibril-based food packaging with dual-antimicrobial property

The development of cellulose-based packaging films with excellent antimicrobial properties and biocompatibility has garnered significant attention. In this work, nanocellulose fibrils (NCFs) derived from from bamboo parenchyma cells were utilized to fabricate nanocomposite film with antimicrobial properties. This system exhibited distinct release behaviors for two antimicrobial agents, with the slow release of Ag nanoparticle (AgNP) in the initial stage contributed to delaying food spoilage, while the subsequent pH change in the microenvironment facilitated the release of essential oil of sour orange blossoms (SEO) for secondary antimicrobial activity. Additionally, the composite film demonstrated improved thermal stability and UV blocking capacity. Moreover, AgNP has been proven to enhance the mechanical properties, with the tensile strength of the novel composite film increasing by 34.85 % compared to control group. The water vapor permeability and oxygen permeability of the novel composite film were reduced, which could potentially reduce weight loss and slow down the rate of after-ripening. Following the acidification treatment, the films containing EO@MPN (essential oil encapsulated with metal-polyphenol network) component performed different antimicrobial patterns, indicating their pH-responsive antimicrobial capabilities, and they are effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. After a 24-h exposure to a food simulant, the release amount of Ag was measured at 67.6 μg/dm2, within the acceptable limit, and the release profile of Ag was characterized. Cytotoxicity and Live/Dead staining tests confirmed that the novel composite film film had no significant toxicity, thus making it safe for application in food preservation. Furthermore, in a 15-day preservation experiment with mangoes, the novel composite film demonstrated the best performance, underscoring its potential as a sustainable antimicrobial packaging material.

The effect of packaging material and adjunct culture on the biogenic amine content, microbiological and textural properties of Dutch-type cheese

The aim of the study was to assess the effects of the packaging materials applied (shrink foil, copolymer coating and food wax) in combination with Lacticaseibacillus casei CCDM 198 microbial strain on biochemical, microbiological and textural properties of Dutch-type cheese during ripening (at 12 ± 1 °C for 168 days). A multivariate principal component analysis method based on a correlation matrix was employed to evaluate the relationships between basic chemical properties, textural and microbiological parameters, biogenic amine and free amino acid contents in relation to the packaging material used and the length of the ripening time. The use of different packaging materials did not have a significant effect on the salt content, fat content, and pH values, whereas significant differences were observed for dry matter content and textural properties development. The presence of Lacticaseibacillus casei CCDM 198 strain accelerated proteolysis in all samples. Shrink foil and food wax had similar effects on the development of biogenic amine content during ripening, while considerable differences were observed for the samples wrapped in copolymer coating. Copolymer coating in combination with Lacticaseibacillus casei CCDM 198 strain was able to reduce biogenic amine content by up to 28% after 168 days.

Effect of Packaging Material on Infestation Level in Stored Groundnut Pods

Groundnut crop is an important crop for farmers of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat State in India. Generally, farmers cultivate groundnut crop in the Kharif season. Storage of groundnut pods is associated with the problem of bruchid during storage in jute bags. To address this storage problem with groundnut pods, current research was carried out comparing performance of different packaging materials with their traditional storage system in jute bags. Seven different types of bags were used as packaging materials. The experiment was carried out for the year 2016-17 and 2017-18. The storage period was December-July. Pool data for two years were considered for determination of the effect of packaging material on storage of groundnut pods with respect to moisture content, germination percentage, pod damage due to infestation, pest population, and aflatoxin. Groundnut stored in cloth bag showed maximum variation in moisture content during the storage period (6.40% to 8.35%), maximum pest population of pupa (6.82 pupa/200 gm sample) and adult of bruchid beetle (3.14 adult/200 gm sample), pod damage due to infestation on number basis (61.13%) as well as weight basis (63.46%) whereas minimum variation was found in moisture content during the storage period (6.74% to 6.90%), maximum pest population of pupa (2.44 pupa/200 gm sample) and adult of bruchid beetle (1.51 adult/200 gm sample), pod damage due to infestation on number basis (18.24%) as well as weight basis (18.76%) in triple layer hermetic storage bag i.e., Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags followed by closely woven net bag. The minimum germination percentage (69.22%) was found in cloth bag and it was the maximum (78.18%) in triple layer hermetic storage bag. Aflatoxin in the pods stored in triple layer hermetic storage bags was under limit. Results of this study will be helpful to select storage bags for storing groundnut pods.

Pembuatan Barcode Kemasan Produk Pada CV. Kuliner Makmur Sejahtera Kota Padang

Rendang, a traditional Minangkabau dish from West Sumatra, Indonesia, has gained international recognition and has inspired many entrepreneurs to promote this cuisine globally. One such entrepreneur is CV. Kuliner Makmur Sejahtera (KMS), which produces rendang under the brand Katuju. To enhance operational efficiency and support global market expansion, KMS requires an improved inventory management system. The primary challenge is the difficulty in monitoring inventory and tracking products without a barcode system. This community service program aims to address this issue by implementing barcode technology on Katuju's product packaging. The activities include designing, creating, and printing barcodes, as well as training KMS staff on how to use them. The process starts with observation and interviews to identify needs, followed by barcode design and production using an online barcode generator, and testing the barcode functionality with a scanning system. The results indicate that the community service team successfully trained KMS in barcode creation and printing, and integrated barcodes into product packaging. Evaluation through questionnaires showed participant satisfaction with the program and readiness to apply the barcode system to their products. This program is expected to improve inventory management, data accuracy, and support CV. KMS's global market expansion by providing tools necessary for efficient product tracking and valuable consumer data collection.

To Integrate and Optimize the Use of Programmable Logic Controller in Development of Horizontal Flow Wrap Packaging Machinery for Industry Needs

This paper focuses on the use of PLC and HMI in the automation industry for a highly effective and versatile horizontal flow wrap plastic film packaging solution. The machine's functioning and efficiency are thoroughly evaluated through extensive testing and validation procedures across multiple criteria. The main aim of this paper is to do the automatic plastic film packaging of any product with packaging dimensions of 4cm X 5cm. For the process automation the FX5U 32MT PLC of Mitsubishi is used for controlling and automating the system using ladder logic. The result shows that the developed system provides fully automatic wrap packaging of products and able to do automatic packaging of 24 packets in one minute. Additionally, the results show the increased efficiency of product rate in less time for automatic packaging system. Finally, it has been observed that the system is very beneficial for the automatic packaging process using PLC and the process can be monitored and visualized on a display screen using HMI. Future advancements are required in the system to meet industry4.0 needs. By incorporating some smart technologies, deeper integration with Industry 4.0 principles could boost capabilities in data analytics, connectivity, and remote monitoring for predictive maintenance.

Mechanical properties, gas permeability and biodegradation mechanism of biobased poly(ester amide)s from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and amido diols for sustainable food packaging

The aim of this work was to evaluate the functional properties of a family of poly(ester amide)s (PEAs) for flexible food packaging applications. The polymers under study were previously synthesized via random copolymerization of furan 2,5-dicarboxylic acid (2,5-FDCA) with different amounts of 1,10-decanediol and an amido diol (AD 46). Poly(decamethylene furanoate) (PDF) and poly(ester amide) 46 (PEA 46) were the reference homopolymers. PEA copolymers were compression molded into films and subjected to WAXS, DSC, SEM analyses and water contact angle, mechanical, gas barrier tests. The results showed a remarkable improvement in the functional properties of PEAs compared to those of PDF, with a decrease up to about 50% of O2 and CO2 transmission rates, which were found to be comparable to those of commercial PET. The mechanical properties of PEAs were also improved in comparison with PDF because of the increased toughness and higher resistance to plastic deformation, paired with elongation at break up to 650%. In order to assess the effects of contact with food, the prepared films were treated with food simulants. Moreover, the films were stored in conditions of controlled temperature and humidity, chosen to replicate real scenarios of application involving aggressive environmental conditions. After contact with food simulant liquids, the materials became more rigid and less ductile, but their gas barrier properties remained superior to those of commercially widespread polyolefins. Finally, films were subjected to composting tests: the higher the amido diol content, the faster the degradation rate, which occurred via a mechanism of bulk hydrolysis, because of the higher hydrophilicity of amide groups. Overall, the results highlighted the potential of PEA copolymers for the production of biobased, sustainable, flexible food packaging.

Eco-friendly and flexible polysaccharide-based packaging films for fruit preservation.

Food safety and wastage caused by fruit deterioration is a serious global problem. Effective packaging systems for extending the freshness period of fruit play a key role in food safety. In this work, we constructed an eco-friendly and flexible polysaccharide-based packaging film based on hydroxypropyl guar (HPG), cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), deep eutectic solvents (DES) and anthocyanin (Anth). DES could endow polysaccharide films with multiple hydrogen bond numbers and good stability. Hydroxypropyl guar/cellulose nanocrystals/anthocyanin with 0.2g deep eutectic solvents (HCA-DES0.2) had good tensile properties, oxygen barrier properties (3.01cm3/m2·day·Pa), water resistance (WCA 111.97°), antibacterial (CFU ˂ 103), and transparency (55.4%). The preservation tests of grape and blueberry showed that the shelf life of these two fruits was 12-20days, and the polysaccharide film had great application potential in fruit preservation.

Transcriptomic profiling under poly (L-lactide) polymer degradation of the thermophilic filamentous bacterium Laceyella sacchari LP175 and its potential for polymer film hydrolysis

Polylactide or polylactic acid (PLA) is a hydrolysable polymer used in many applications including medical devices, agricultural films, and packaging materials. Biological methods that completely decompose biodegradable polymers are environmentally beneficial. Laceyella sacchari LP175, a thermophilic filamentous bacterium, had a high potential producing poly (L-lactide) (PLLA)-degrading enzyme which is characterized as a serine protease. This study demonstrated that this strain is an effective degrader of PLLA at a high temperature of 50 °C, which resulted in an increase in enzyme activity within the initial 24 h of incubation. The alterations in the physical and structural characteristics of the PLLA polymer film were verified to occur when incubated with a culture supernatant of this strain. Transcriptomic profiling revealed the differentially expressed genes of Laceyella sacchari LP175 under PLLA degradation, showing 289 and 296 up-regulated and down-regulated genes, respectively. Findings indicated that serine protease and transport-related genes played a key role in the biodegradation of PLLA in Laceyella sacchari LP175. The functions and metabolic pathway annotation of the enriched expression genes showed that propanoate metabolism, protein secretion, and membrane transportation were the main pathways induced when cells were grown in the presence of PLLA powder. Therefore, transcriptome data will be helpful in the development and manipulation of microbial systems to improve the degradation of biodegradable polymers.

Effects of amylose and amylopectin fine structure on the thermal, mechanical and hydrophobic properties of starch films

The fine structures of pumpkin, potato, wheat, cassava, and pea starches were determined, followed by an evaluation of how these structures affected the properties of starch films. The structures significantly influenced film properties. Starches with larger molecular weights exhibited greater thermal stability. The tensile strength of starch film was negatively associated with the amylose chain length (r = −0.88, p < 0.05). The chain length distributions of amylose and amylopectin affected the mechanical properties of starch films by influencing structure ordering, supported by the positive correlation between the double helix content and the tensile strength (r = 0.95, p < 0.05). The amylopectin B1, B2, and B3 chains increased film mechanical strength. Conversely, amylopectin A-chains reduced the mechanical strength. The water contact angle was negatively correlated with the B3 chain proportion (r = −0.93, p < 0.05). The pumpkin starch exhibited the highest tensile strength (14.29 MPa), while the wheat starch film showed the highest water contact angle (112°). This study offers valuable insights into the structure-function relationships of starch films, thereby facilitating the acquisition of starch films with enhanced strength and stability through screening or designing starch structures. Consequently, this will expand the application of starch films as packaging materials in various food products.

Investigation of Microplastic Contamination in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Fish: A Comparative Study of Various Freshwater Species

The aqueous environment has been reported to be seriously threatened by the pollution of microplastics (MPs), which has been confirmed in numerous studies affecting various aquatic habitats. Despite this, few investigations exist on MP contamination in fish of specific regions. Thus, the current study aims to determine MP concentrations in the fish species of the Chhota Nagpur zone of eastern India. From August to September 2023, fish samples were collected from 10 km distance between two locations of Subarnarekha and Kharkai river banks through fishermen. Microplastics were found in the gastrointestinal tract of 45 fish of 8 species out of 48 samples. Of these species, six species were secondary consumers, while the remaining two were primary consumers. The average amount of microplastics consumed by each fish (n = 48) was 3.0 ± 1.8. A total of 144 microplastics were found in collected samples of fish species. Among the analyzed sample of MPs, 69.4% were fibers, films were (22.3%), and (8.3%) were fragments. The least contaminated species was T. ilisha (0.8 ± 0.7 particles/ind.), while L. rohita had the highest microplastic contamination (4.5 ± 1.7 particles/ind.). The present study found a negative correlation of - 0.83 between MP consumption and the mean body weight of fish. Similarly, a negative correlation of - 0.5 was found between the length of fish and MP intake. Polyamide (nylon), polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyethylene polymers were found. The size of MPs ranged from 45-355 μm and mainly were fibers. They were also predominantly blue and black. Polyamide and polyvinyl chloride were the common MP types in every specimen. The possible sources of MPs were fishing nets, ropes, and packaging material. This investigation points to MP contamination in aquatic ecosystems and particular species. It provides advanced knowledge of MP pollution, sources, and effects on regional ecosystems and public health.

A Novel Use of Hydrocolloid Dressing as a Packing Material after Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

A Novel Use of Hydrocolloid Dressing as a Packing Material after Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

Biodegradable packaging with natural colorants added to increase the consumption of eco-friendly packaging

The development of biodegradable packaging is relevant for the environment, society, and industry. In parallel, using natural colorants has also emerged as a current topic in research, for its appeal to both human and environmental health. Combining the concepts of biodegradable packaging and natural colorants in a single product presents as a strategy to increase the potential use of biodegradable packaging. In this sense, this project starts with the following hypothesis: the offer of biodegradable packaging with a natural colorant added improves the positive perception of biodegradable packaging by the consumer. To this end, using the Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ), the present work seeks to understand the effect of the construct natural content on the importance given by consumers to foods that are packaged in an environmentally friendly way, and using Word Association (WA) technique, to investigate the influence of color, and awareness of the presence of natural colorants on biodegradable packaging. The study was designed using two approaches: (i) Developing a model using Partial Least Squares-Path modeling (PLS-PM) to explain the whole set of relationships between FCQ constructs of interest in eco-friendly packaging, being mediated by the construct natural content; and (ii) using WA technique under two conditions: blind condition (unaware) and informed condition (aware) to explore the holistic perception of colored biodegradable packaging. Results showed that Ethical concerns and Health, had positive effects on Natural Content, while “weight control” had a positive effect on Natural Content. On the other hand, Mood was found to have a negative effect on Natural Content. Natural content has a high effect on the importance given by consumers to foods packaged in an environmentally friendly way. Word Association revealed a positive perception of the presentation of colored biodegradable packaging and a more positive perception, defined by happiness, of the awareness of its being biodegradable packaging colored by natural colorants. From a practical point of view, results showed that not only the use of natural colorants by the packaging industry can serve as an incentive to consume biodegradable packaging, but that consumers' awareness that the color is from a natural colorant can increase the consumption of eco-friendly packaging.

Recent Works on Direct-Write Digital Holography

Abstract Direct-write digital holographic (DWDH) printing is a highly flexible technique for the generation of photoresist masters, which are required to produce the metallic shims used for the mass production of holograms in the security and packaging industries. Here we describe a new type of holographic feature, which can be combined with any other feature printable using DWDH: full-parallax, full-colour transmission masters containing limited animation. We will also describe a technique to print the fringe pattern of each hogel without using a reference beam. By programming the required fringe calculation algorithm on a graphics card using CUDA, we obtain acceptable calculation times. The advantage of using such direct fringe writing is that once again DWDH allows extra features to be written onto a master and combined with other features to produce a stronger security solution. Finally, we present results concerning the use of hogel image dithering to improve the grey-scale performance of DWDH printers.

A SEMIOTIC STUDY OF CARICATURE: THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN AMERICA AND CHINA

Visual communication is a compound process, which requires broad knowledge of semiotics. Semiotics is the education of signs and symbols. In what way these signs and symbols are interpreted is studied under semiotics. It has many concealed signs and connotations, for example: brand name, logo, package design, color, punch line and trade mark, etc. The present study presents one of the most significant philosophies and replicas of visual social semiotics, namely, Kress and van Leeuwen’s "Grammar of Visual Design". It involves the description of semiotic resources, what can be said and done with images (and other visual means of communication) and how things people say and do with images can be interpreted. Thus, the communicative values of signs in a caricature are a portrait with the volume turned up. A caricature is a painting, or more commonly a picture, of an object or item in which the characteristics and structure have been blurred and exaggerated to ridicule or satirize the topic. Thus the current study aims at studying some caricatures nonverbally through analyzing the image and colours of it. The study tackles semiotics; specifically social semiotics, caricature, the elements of analyzing caricature, which are: image, word, and colour. The first part carries on the introduction of the current study as well as tackling the problem of the study, the literature review of semiotics in general and social semiotics in particular. The second part carries on the data and its analysis through the model, as well as the visual results, finally, giving the conclusion.

Functionalization of boron nitride with poly(catechol-polyamine) and bis(γ-triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulfide for preparing epoxy nanocomposites with enhanced thermal conductivity

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has garnered significant interest as inorganic thermally conductive material in electronic packaging due to its high-efficiency thermal management capability and electrical insulation properties. However, the relatively inert chemical environment of the BN surface hinders phonon transfer at the interface. Additionally, the high content of inorganic components in the matrix leads to the deterioration of the composite’s mechanical properties. In this research, h-BN surface is modified using poly(catechol-polyamine) (PCPA) and bis (γ-triethoxysi-lylpropyl)tetrasulphide (Si69) (denoted as BN-PCPA-Si69). The noncovalent PCPA modification protects the endothermic properties of BN, Si69 provides covalent bonding between thermally conductive fillers and bisphenol A-type epoxy resin (Ep), and the interfacial compatibility between BN and epoxy resin is improved. The heat conductivity of final BN/Ep composite achieved 0.817 W/(m·K) containing 30 wt% BN. Correspondingly, the heat conductivity of the composite (mBN/Ep) achieved 0.881 W/(m·K) containing 30 wt% BN-PCPA-Si69. Compared to pure epoxy resin (0.200 W/(m·K), the thermal conductivity (TC) of the mBN/Ep composite increased by 364% while maintaining good electrical insulation properties. The proposed BN surface functionalization approach has potential applications in fields such as microelectronic packaging, where materials need to balance high thermal conductivity and electrical insulation.

Review of Die-Attach Materials for SiC High-Temperature Packaging

Review of Die-Attach Materials for SiC High-Temperature Packaging

Characterization of 3D printed samples from biomass-fungi composite materials

Biomass-fungi composite materials are derived from sustainable sources and can biodegrade at the end of their service. In these composite materials, the biomass particles (made from agricultural waste such as hemp hurd) act as the substrate, and a network of fungal hyphae grow through and bind the biomass particles together. These composite materials can be used to manufacture products traditionally made from petroleum-based plastics. Potential applications of these products are in the packaging, furniture, and construction industries. Typically, molding-based methods are used to manufacture products using these composite materials. Recently, the authors reported a novel 3D printing-based method using these composite materials. This paper reports a follow-up investigation into the characterization of 3D printed samples from biomass-fungi composite materials. Tensile and compressive testing samples were shaped using molds from a portion of each printed sample. Mechanical properties of these tensile and compressive testing samples and chemical properties of the printed samples were measured. Tensile and compressive testing measurement results showed that, at the significance level of 0.05, effects of 3D printing parameters studied (printing speed and extrusion pressure) were not statistically significant on Young’s modulus and ultimate tensile strength of the tensile testing samples, as well as on compressive strength and compressive modulus of the compressive testing samples. Results obtained from the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis show that chemical composition of printed samples was consistent with the data in the literature.

Kinetic modelling and mechanism elucidation of catalyst-free dimethyl terephthalate hydrolysis process intensification by reactive distillation

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a widely used thermoplastic polymer in the packaging and materials industries, and is predicted to have continuous market growth in the future. Methods such as glycolysis and methanolysis of PET have been identified as promising approaches in sustainable chemical recycling of PET. The latter produces dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), which can be easily hydrolyzed to terephthalic acid (TPA) at elevated temperatures and pressures, and further reused for PET production. The aim of this study was to develop a kinetic model for the hydrolysis of dimethyl terephthalate, using the experimental data. Various reaction conditions (temperature, pressure, time) have been investigated and used to calculate the activation energies and reaction rate constants, while the variation in reactor setup with methanol (MeOH) removal was conducted to show its detrimental effect on the efficiency of the reaction and selectivity towards terephthalic acid. The first reaction step of DMT to monomethyl terephthalate (MMT) is relatively irreversible, while the second reaction step of MMT to TPA ceases, as soon as the equilibrium is reached. Highest yields of TPA (76.7 %) were obtained after 40 min at 265 °C, with MeOH removal, and the activation energy was calculated to be 95 and 64 kJ mol−1 for the first and second hydrolysis reaction step, respectively.

Standardized research on multifunctional beacon multi-sensor data acquisition and transmission

Abstract This paper discusses the research on the standardization of data acquisition and transmission for multifunctional beacon systems. The multifunctional beacon system integrates various types of sensing devices and can provide real-time, comprehensive and accurate marine environment and navigation information for ships and shore-based users. However, the system currently faces challenges such as non-uniform data formats and communication protocols, low hardware standardization and integration, and data and network security risks. In order to solve these problems, this paper puts forward the solution of “standard terminal for data acquisition and transmission”, which achieves the compatibility of equipment interface, unified data format, and reliable information security. It lays the foundation for the standardization of multi-purpose beacon system. Through modular design and standardized packaging, the performance, reliability and efficiency of the hardware of multi-purpose beacons are improved, the development and maintenance costs are reduced, and the flexibility of the system is enhanced. The “Standard Terminal for Data Acquisition and Transmission” is applied to the multi-purpose beacon system, and interfaces and integrates with the existing “Operation Management System for Navigation Guarantee” to realize a unified platform for multi-purpose beacons. This research helps to promote the formulation of multi-purpose beacon data format and communication protocol standards at the national or industrial level, provides important reference for the formulation of international standards, and is of great significance in promoting the standardized development and application promotion of multi-purpose beacon technology.