Use Of Antimicrobial Packaging Research Articles

Properties of nanostructured silver nitrate and its use in antimicrobial packaging

Data on the study of nanostructured silver nitrate by the NTA and self-organization method are presented. It is shown that silver nitrate nanocapsules are formed due to non-covalent interactions, which is characteristic of self-assembly. The average size of nanocapsules ranges from 117 to 149 nm, and the geometry of nanocapsules depends on the nature of the shell. Thus, in sodium alginate, it approaches a spherical shape, and in guar gum — an ellipsoid.

A Comprehensive Review on Antimicrobial Packaging and its Use in Food Packaging

The recent food-borne microbial outbreaks in the world have led to the search for more innovative ways to inhibit microbial growth in foods that will maintain their quality, freshness, and safety. One of the options, that provides an increased margin of safety and quality in food products is the use of antimicrobial packaging. The next generation of food packaging may include materials with antimicrobial properties. These packaging technologies could play a role in extending the shelf-life of foods and reduce the risk from pathogens. Antimicrobial packaging is a form of active packaging which interacts with the product or the headspace between the package and the food system, to obtain a desired outcome. Antimicrobial packaging has an important effect on food packaging when the shelf-life extension and food safety of food products are taken into consideration. The basic idea behind this technology is the usage of antimicrobial substances in polymeric matrices to target specific microorganisms, in order to achieve higher safety and quality food products with extended shelf life. Various types of antimicrobial substances such as organic acids and their salts, enzymes, bacteriocins, and miscellaneous compounds (triclosan, silver, and fungicides) have been used in synthetic polymers and edible films. Different types of antimicrobial food packaging systems can be constructed by using antimicrobial packaging materials and/or antimicrobial agents inside the package space or inside foods.

Kinetic desorption models for the release of nanosilver from an experimental nanosilver coating on polystyrene food packaging

Abstract To predict the kinetic desorption of silver from an experimental nanosilver coated polystyrene food packaging material into food simulants (0, 1, 2 and 3% acetic acid (HAc) in distilled water (dH 2 O)) at 4 temperatures (10, 20, 40 and 70 °C), 5 sorption models were examined for their performance. A pseudo-second order kinetic sorption model was found to provide the best prediction of an unseen desorption validation dataset with R 2 = 0.90 and RMSE = 3.21. Poor predictions were witnessed for desorption at 70 °C, potentially due to re-adsorption of the silver back onto the polystyrene substrate, as shown in the kinetic migration experiments. Similarly, the temperature dependence of the desorption rate constant was satisfactorily described using the Arrhenius equation with the exception of the 70 °C scenario. The use of sorption models identified scenarios that may limit human exposure to nanosilver migrating from this experimental nanocoating, i.e. low temperature applications. Industrial relevance The use of antimicrobial packaging has the potential to reduce food spoilage and risk from pathogenic microorganisms while reducing food waste by extending the shelf life of food products. Coating of antimicrobial silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to polymer surfaces is a highly advantageous technology as microbial contamination predominantly occurs on the surface of fresh and processed food products. However, uncertainty related to the potential release of nanoparticles from food packaging materials, subsequent potential human exposure and toxicology is a barrier to the uptake of these novel materials. In the European Union, where the safety assessment of these materials is stringent, mathematical models used to predict the worst case migration of nanoparticles from food packaging materials have supported the acceptance of some nanomaterials for use in food packaging. The performance of a number of desorption models was evaluated to predict the release of AgNPs from AgNP coated polystyrene. The model identified factors that influenced migration and possible industrial applications for the developed material to minimise human exposure. The study highlights the potential benefits of using predictive models to assess migration of NPs from polymers into food simulants instead of time consuming and expensive migration studies.

Antimicrobial films and coatings for inactivation of Listeria innocua on ready-to-eat deli turkey meat

Edible antimicrobial coating solutions incorporating chitosan, lauric arginate ester (LAE) and nisin were developed to reduce foodborne pathogen contamination on ready-to-eat (RTE) meats. RTE deli meat samples were directly coated with the solutions, or treated with solution-coated polylactic acid (PLA) films. The antimicrobial efficacy of the coatings and films against Listeria innocua inoculated onto the surface of RTE meat samples was investigated. Antimicrobial coatings with 1.94 mg/cm2 of chitosan and 0.388 mg/cm2 of LAE reduced L. innocua by ca. 4.5 log CFU/cm2. Nisin (486 IU/cm2) showed less effectiveness than LAE (0.388 mg/cm2) and addition of nisin to the antimicrobial coatings or films containing LAE (0.388 mg/cm2) did not enhance the total antimicrobial effectiveness. Combining antimicrobial coatings or films with flash pasteurization (FP), which uses short burst of steam under pressure, further reduced L. innocua, achieving over a 5 log reduction. There was no significant difference in the effectiveness of antimicrobial films versus the coatings (p > 0.05). These data show the potential use of antimicrobial packaging alone, or in combination with FP, in preventing foodborne illness due to post-processing contamination of RTE meat products.

Assessment of the efficiency of essential oils in the preservation of postharvest papaya in an antimicrobial packaging system

Rot and damage caused by post-harvest phytopathogenic fungi affect fruit quality. Essential oils (EO) are considered as an alternative to fungicides. Postharvest diseases of fruits may also be controlled by the bagging approach and the use of antimicrobial packaging. Based on the beneficial properties of EO and the concepts of bagging and antimicrobial packaging, this study aimed to develop sachets containing EO to be used as part of an antimicrobial packaging system. The activities of oregano, cinnamon and lemon grass EO were evaluated testing the sachets in vitro against the phytopathogenic fungi Alternaria alternata, Fusarium semitectum, Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Rhizopus stolonifer. The effects of the sachets on the microbiological and physicochemical parameters of post-harvest papaya were also evaluated. Both pure and sachet-incorporated EO showed antifungal activity in vitro against all tested fungi. For papaya, sachets containing cinnamon, oregano and lemon grass showed a significant reduction in the growth of mesophilic aerobic bacteria, yeasts and mould, with the cinnamon sachet causing the greatest reduction in microorganisms at the end of the storage time. Physicochemical parameters of papaya, such as weight loss, colour, firmness, total soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio and pH were not significantly altered by the presence of EO sachets, thus not affecting the natural ripening process of the papaya.

Microbiological aspects of thermally processed foods

The knowledge requirements of the food microbiologist working with thermally processed products are very challenging; particularly in relation to minimally processed foods. In the past, the minimum criteria for sterilized canned foods was very well-defined, however, the diversity of food products, packages and related heat processes are now very difficult to summarize in terms of minimum requirements. The overall heating characteristics of these products can be complex, particularly for mixed particulate products or multicompartment packages. Similarly, the death kinetics of the contaminating micro-organisms can be markedly different dependent on the composition of the food product. These factors combined with the consumer demands for 'fresher' foods has resulted in product, process and package development and innovation progressing at a much faster rate than in the past. While food safety is the most important factor, there are also other issues such as shelf-life and visual quality that have strong market influences and must therefore also be considered by the microbiologist.