Packaging oxygen-scavenger food

Many oxygen sensitive products, including food products, electronic components, pharmaceuticals, and medical products, deteriorate in the presence of oxygen. Both the color and the flavor of foods can be adversely affected. The oxidation of lipids within the food product can result in the development of rancidity. These products benefit from the use of oxygen scavengers in their packaging (67). 

Another variable is the type of food in contact with the active or intelligent packaging. Here there may be liquid contact (e.g. for an oxygen-scavenging crown cork for beer), dry contact (e.g. a preservative releaser for buns) or semi-solid contact (e.g. an oxygen scavenger for processed ham). 

Active food packaging is a film or coating that is directly or indirectly in contact with any food surfaces to increase the shelf life or improve the quality of the packaged food. The big classifications fall under either oxygen-scavenging or antimicrobial but other upcoming types such as ethylene-scavenging, moisture absorbers, taint removers, and color and flavor enhancers have also been identified. 

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

Using polyolefins in food packaging has many challenges to improve the surface properties of materials maintaining their excellent bulk properties. Improvement in oxygen scavenging systems needs to be improved also to reduce the oxidation of the food and the presence of aerobic bacteria and mold growth. 

Polymers Corference Proceedings (Atlanta, GA, 10th-12th Oct. 1898), p. 7-18 A.L. Brody, E.R. Strupinsky, L.R. Kline, Oxygen scavenger systems, in Active Packaging for Food Applications (Technomic Publishing, Pennsylvania, 2001)... 

Aseptic packaging eliminates the need for preservatives but the shelf-life of the products still depends on the presence of oxygen either as gas in the pack at closing or dissolved in the product or due to permeation. Conventionally the foods or juices are de-aerated as much as possible. Shelf-life may be enhanced by addition of antioxidants but the use of an oxygen scavenging or antimicrobial film or adjunct will provide the greatest benefit, avoiding the use of additives. 

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