Packaging, antimicrobial

An economical method for manufacturing antimicrobial packaging is achieved by direct incorporation of the preservative into film. Such an 

In synthetic polymers, as well as edible films, various classes of antimicrobial compounds have been evaluated. These include organic acids, enzymes, bacteriocins, and other compounds which may consist of tri-closans, silver zeolites, and fungicides. Several approaches are followed when incorporating an antimicrobial substance into packaging material (Quintavalla and Vicini, 2002)  

To put the antimicrobial into a film, at the time when the film is produced. However, this is not cost effective and the antimicrobial material, which is then not exposed to the surface of the film is not effectively active. 

To apply an antimicrobial additive in a controlled matter where the material is needed and not lost. 

In multilayered packaging material, antimicrobials may be incorporated into the food contact layer. 

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Vermeiren L, Delieghere F and Debevere J. 2002. Effectiveness of some recent antimicrobial packaging concepts. Food Addit Contam 19(Suppl) 163—171. 

Outtara, B., Simard, R.E., Piette, G., Begin, A., and Holley, R.A. 2000. Diffusion of acetic and propionic acids from chitosan-based antimicrobial packaging films. Journal of Food Science 65 768-773. 

Food Additives and Contaminants Vol.l9, Suppl., 2002, p.163-71 EFFECTIVENESS OF SOME RECENT ANTIMICROBIAL PACKAGING CONCEPTS... 

Liu, L. S., Finkenstadt, V. L., Liu, C.-K., Jin, T. Z., Fishman, M. L., Hicks, K. B. 2007a.. Preparation of Poly(Lactic acid) and Pectin Composite Films for Application in Antimicrobial Packaging. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, in press. 

Jofre, A., Aymerich, T., and Garriga, M. 2008a. Assessment of the effectiveness of antimicrobial packaging combined with high pressure to control Salmonella sp. in cooked ham. Food Control 19 634—638. 

Bacteriocins. Cellulose is often utilized in antimicrobial packaging systems as a carrier material for bacteriocins. Bacteriocins are peptides produced by bacteria to inhibit the growth of another closely-related bacteria or strain. Commercially, they are utilized in the medical field and as antimicrobial agents or preservatives of food products. 

Active packaging is the type of packaging that controls and reacts to events occuring inside the packaging. There are different types of active packaging systems, such as, antimicrobial packaging and the packaging that can provide a controlled gas environment for the food. 

There is evidence showing that some of the antimicrobial packaging additives can also be very effective as indirect food additives [11,12]. 

There are a variety of different geometries applied for antimicrobial packaging. In one application, co-extruded films of PE comprising a liquid-absorbent inner layer, an antimicrobial middle layer (to decrease the migration possibility of additives) and an impermeable outer layer prepared as foodstuff packaging is presented [13]. While in another, coatings with microbiocides are applied to substrates such as PP films and polyester fabrics by plasma-polymerisation and deposition [14]. 

Antimicrobial packaging shows promise as an effective method for the inhibition of certain bacteria in foods, but barriers to their commercial implementation still exists. 

Solano, A. C. V. and Gante, C. R. (2012). Two different processes to obtain antimicrobial packaging containing natural oUs. Food Bioprocess Technology, 5, 2522-2528. 

Milk protein films are widely used in food and non-food sectors such as textile, paper, leather etc. These films and composites are used in different scopes of food science such as coating of meat and fresh-cut fruits, bread wrapping and preparation of antimicrobial packaging. Cow s milk proteins are divided into 2 parts caseins and whey proteins. The major fraction of milk proteins (approximately 80 %) belongs to casein group which consists of si-, s2-, ) -, and jc-casein and their portions are nearly 38, 10, 36 and 12, respectively with the corresponding molecular masses of 23,164, 25,388, 23,983 and 19,038 Da [78]. 

J.H. Han, Antimicrobial packaging materials and films, in Novel Food packaging techniques, ed. R. Ahvenainen (Woodhead Publ. Ltd. and CRC Press LLC, 2003) pp. 50-70... 

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