Food packaging, additives antimicrobials

Food packaging additives in the United States include slips, antistats, antioxidants, colorants, antifogs, antimicrobials, and oxygen scavengers. 

COOKSEY, K. Effectiveness of antimicrobial food packaging materials . Food Additives and Contaminants 2005 22 (10) 980-987. 

The basic types of antinucrobial food packaging films are outlined and additives used in antimicrobial materials are discussed, with particular reference to potassium soibate, nisin, imazalil, allyl isothiocyanate and triclosan. The production of antimicrobial films by modification of the polymer chain itself is also mentioned and the natural antimicrobial activity of chitosan is considered. 17 refs. 

Other additives to be used in food packaging include ethylene scavengers (e.g., potassium permanganate) on silica, CO2 scavenger (e.g., calcium hydroxide reacting to calcium carbonate), and CO2- generating additives (e.g., ferrous carbonate). Further additives to be used for content protection incorporated in plastics provide antimicrobial effects, for example, silver or ethanol release, antioxidant release, flavor release, flavor absorption, and moisture control [66]. 

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

Markarian [52] reviewed the latest additives used to improve gas barrier and other properties of food packaging, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. These include oxygen and scavengers, flavour and odour controllers, antimicrobials, antifogs and UV absorbers. 

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