Active Packaging Applications for Food

The traditional role of food packaging is continuing to evolve in response to changing market needs. Current drivers such as consumer's demand for safer, “healthier,” and higher‐quality foods, ideally with a long shelf‐life; the demand for convenient and transparent packaging, and the preference for more sustainable packaging materials, have led to the development of new packaging technologies, such as active packaging (AP). As defined in the European regulation (EC) No 450/2009, AP systems are designed to “deliberately incorporate components that would release or absorb substances into or from the packaged food or the environment surrounding the food.” Active packaging materials are thereby “intended to extend the shelf‐life or to maintain or improve the condition of packaged food.” Although extensive research on AP technologies is being undertaken, many of these technologies have not yet been implemented successfully in commercial food packaging systems. Broad communication of their benefits in food product applications will facilitate the successful development and market introduction. In this review, an overview of AP technologies, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant or carbon dioxide‐releasing systems, and systems absorbing oxygen, moisture or ethylene, is provided, and, in particular, scientific publications illustrating the benefits of such technologies for specific food products are reviewed. Furthermore, the challenges in applying such AP technologies to food systems and the anticipated direction of future developments are discussed. This review will provide food and packaging scientists with a thorough understanding of the benefits of AP technologies when applied to specific foods and hence can assist in accelerating commercial adoption.     

超临界溶液浸渍法及其在食品活性包装材料中的应用研究进展

本文较系统地阐述了超临界溶液浸渍技术(supercritical solution impregnation,SSI)的机理,介绍了超临界溶液浸渍过程中各组分之间的相互作用,并对超临界溶液浸渍技术的流程进行了说明。对近年来国内外超临界溶液浸渍技术在制备食品活性包装材料中的研究进行了总结,介绍了将天然活性物质负载到合成聚合物、天然聚合物、复合聚合物、纳米复合聚合物等基质材料中制备成膜用于食品活性包装材料的实验室成果。最后,结合目前国内外研究现状,对超临界溶液浸渍技术在制备食品活性包装材料的研究重点进行展望。     

超临界溶液浸渍法制备丁香酚-壳聚糖食品活性包装膜

采用超临界溶液浸渍（supercritical solution impregnation,SSI）技术将丁香酚（eugenol,EG）负载于壳聚糖膜（chitosan film,CSF）中,制备用于食品活性包装的抑菌材料,分析SSI过程参数对丁香酚负载量的影响,并对EG-CSF的形貌、吸水量、水蒸气透过率和抑菌性能进行了考察。结果表明,EG-CSF的负载量随着浸渍压力的升高而增大,随着泄压速度的升高而降低,在压力20 MPa、泄压速率1 MPa/min时负载量达到最大,为6.02%。壳聚糖膜经SSI过程负载丁香酚后,吸水率和水蒸气透过率均下降。EG-CSF对金黄色葡萄球菌、绿脓假单胞菌、大肠杆菌均有较好的抑制作用,在食品活性包装领域具有应用潜力。     

3种食品天然植物包材的抗氧化活性成分对比研究

为分析箬叶、芦苇叶、荷叶这3种食品包装天然植物材料的抗氧化活性成分及其抗氧化功能,利用超声提取法提取活性成分,测定植物提取物的总酚、总黄酮含量,·OH清除能力、O-2·清除能力、DPPH·清除能力、ABTS+·清除能力、总抗氧化性以及还原能力,分析抗氧化功能与抗氧化活性成分的相关性,以及活性成分的结构对抗氧化功能的影响...     

肉桂醛在食品活性包装中的抗菌应用研究进展

肉桂醛作为一种典型的天然植物精油活性成分,是广谱高效、安全无毒的食品防腐剂,通过固定在食品活性包装中可以改善其易挥发性和刺激气味,在提高抗菌效率的同时减少对食物感官的影响。近年来肉桂醛作为活性包装抗菌剂的研究呈显著增加趋势,在食品保鲜领域极具发展前景,然而尚缺乏文献对其研究应用现状进行系统总结分析。本文从天然载体、人工构建载体以及递送载体的修饰等方面探讨了肉桂醛与活性包装结合方式的最新研究进展,总结了肉桂醛抗菌包装对果蔬、肉制品、乳制品及淀粉食品的保鲜效果,最后分析了目前肉桂醛包装研究现状和未来发展方向。本综述为天然防腐剂肉桂醛在食品活性包装中的研发、应用与推广提供了科学参考,为提高生鲜食品贮运品质提供了新的研究思路。     

Preparation and Characterization of Antimicrobial Films Based on Chitosan for Active Food Packaging Applications

The aim of this paper was to characterize chitosan samples from the shrimp shells for the later development of antimicrobial active systems. These systems include 100 % chitosan-based films obtained by casting, polyamide films with 5 and 10 % of chitosan obtained by extrusion and polyethylene/polyethylene terephthalate films with a coating of 0.6 % of chitosan. For that purpose, several analytical techniques including IR, ¹H NMR, GPC, and microscopic techniques (scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy) were used. Within the studied samples, C1 showed the lowest DA and MW and consequently presented the most suitable properties for the development of an active packaging. Additionally, mechanical properties were performed. The effectiveness of the developed systems was evaluated by means of microbiological assays. The tested films showed antimicrobial capacity against coliform enterobacteria, mesophilic aerobic microorganism, and yeast and moulds.     

Active and Intelligent Packaging for the Food Industry

In the recent past, food packaging was used to enable marketing of products and to provide passive protection against environmental contaminations or influences that affect the shelf life of the products. However, unlike traditional packaging, which must be totally inert, active packaging is designed to interact with the contents and/or the surrounding environment. Active packaging systems are successfully used to increase the shelf life of processed foods and can be categorized into adsorbing and releasing systems (for example, oxygen scavengers, ethylene scavengers, liquid and moisture absorbers, flavor and odor absorbers or releasers, antimicrobials, etc.). Intelligent packaging is characterized by its ability to monitor the condition of packaged food or the environment by providing information about different factors during transportation and storage. Intelligent packaging includes time-temperature indicators, gas detectors, and freshness and/or ripening indicators. At the same time, advances in nanotechnology and the improvement of nanomaterials will enable the development of better and new active and intelligent packaging. Such packaging provides great benefits to the food industry to improve freshness, shelf-life of food, and allows monitoring to control the storage conditions from the place of production to consumption by the final consumer.     

控释技术在食品活性包装中应用与研究

食品包装控释系统是指包装材料作为传送系统进行活性物质的控制释放,目的在于维持或改善包装内食品的品质。本文阐述控释技术在食品活性包装中的应用、活性物质释放机理、释放速率影响因素等最新研究进展,展望控释技术未来的研究方向。     

食品活性包装研究进展

随着人们食品质量和安全意识的不断提高,食品包装技术也在不断发展,新的包装技术不断涌现,活性包装便是其一.活性包装通过改变包装食品的环境条件,来延长货架寿命或改进安全性和感官品质,从而维持包装食品的质量.本文主要介绍了活性包装中的氧气脱除体系、乙烯脱除体系、干燥体系、二氧化碳生成/脱除体系及抗菌体系.     

气调保鲜包装技术在食品包装中的应用

气调保鲜包装技术可调节不同比例的气体组合,适应多种被包装食品的要求,延长食品的保鲜期,能保证食品果蔬的原汁、原味、原貌。文中介绍了气调保鲜包装技术的原理以及在食品和果蔬等产品包装中的应用,探讨了其保鲜包装方法和特点。     

VD3- 壳聚糖复合物的超临界二氧化碳注入法制备工艺

以壳聚糖粒子为载体,VD3 为模型物,采用超临界二氧化碳注入法制备VD3- 壳聚糖复合物。采用紫外测试法考察过程参数压力、温度以及时间对VD3 在VD3- 壳聚糖复合物中负载量的影响。结果表明：随着压力和温度的增加,VD3 负载量均为先增大后减小;当压力20MPa、温度35℃时,VD3 负载量达到最大值;当温度和压力一定时,时间由1h 增至3h,VD3 负载量也有不同程度的增加。     

活性可食性膜在食品包装中的应用

讨论了活性可食性膜的主要成膜基质及其特性,可添加的活性物质,探讨了影响活性可食性膜性能的主要因素,提出了它在食品包装中的应用前景。     

食品活性吸氧包装材料研究进展

氧气是引起食品变质的主要因素之一,食品工业主要运用物理或化学方法来降低包装容器内的氧气体积分数,以延长食品保质期。从无机系列脱氧剂及有机系列脱氧剂方面阐述了吸氧包装材料的应用机理及其在食品中的应用类型,指出高效、安全、适合自动包装是新型吸氧包装材料的发展趋势。为了使吸氧包装材料能在食品行业中得到应用,必须深入了解其涉及的材料和食品领域,加大对吸氧包装材料的研究力度,加强产、学、研之间的合作,使吸氧包装材料尽早实现商品化应用。     

Nanostructured Materials Utilized in Biopolymer-based Plastics for Food Packaging Applications

Most materials currently used for food packaging are nondegradable, generating environmental problems. Several biopolymers have been exploited to develop materials for ecofriendly food packaging. However, the use of biopolymers has been limited because of their usually poor mechanical and barrier properties, which may be improved by adding reinforcing compounds (fillers), forming composites. Most reinforced materials present poor matrix–filler interactions, which tend to improve with decreasing filler dimensions. The use of fillers with at least one nanoscale dimension (nanoparticles) produces nanocomposites. Nanoparticles have proportionally larger surface area than their microscale counterparts, which favors the filler–matrix interactions and the performance of the resulting material. Besides nanoreinforcements, nanoparticles can have other functions when added to a polymer, such as antimicrobial activity, etc. in this review paper, the structure and properties of main kinds of nanostructured materials which have been studied to use as nanofiller in biopolymer matrices are overviewed, as well as their effects and applications.     

Naringinase Immobilization in Polymeric Films Intended for Food Packaging Applications

ABSTRACT: We present a method of obtaining a food-grade active film able to reduce the naringin content of grapefruit juices during storage by a direct interaction with the product. The active film consists of a crosslinked matrix in which naringinase was completely immobilized. The proposed method was tested by first assessing the efficacy of the immobilization procedure and then evaluating the capability of the active film to reduce the naringin concentration in standard solutions. Results indicate that the developed active film has commercial potential to improve the sensory properties of grapefruit juices.     

Safety Aspects of Nanotechnology Applications in Food Packaging

Although the application of nanotechnology provides numerous advantages related to food safety and quality, at the same time it may present a potential risk not only to human health, but can affect animals and the environment as well. Recent studies have shown that indeed there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that nanoparticles may have toxicological effects on biological systems. Food-contact materials (FCMs) are already on the market in some countries, therefore more data about the safety of engineered nanotechnology materials and nanoproducts affecting human health are necessary in the future to ensure adequate regulation and their useful application for FCMs.     

Use of Active Packaging for Increasing Ascorbic Acid Retention in Food Beverages

ABSTRACT: A study on the influence of the type of container and storage temperature on ascorbic acid degradation and browning in a model system simulating a citrus juice is presented. The model system was packaged in glass jars, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, bottles of PET containing different percentages of oxygen scavengers, and bottles of PET blended with 6% nylon. Samples were stored at 5 °C to simulate the usual storage condition and at 35 °C to simulate a temperature abuse. The slowest ascorbic acid degradation and browning were obtained with PET + 3% oxygen scavengers. Glass and PET gave the worst results: the 1st due to the presence of pro-oxidants and the latter due to the oxygen permeability. In particular, concerning ascorbic acid degradation in glass containers at 35 °C, it was hypothesized that there are 2 simultaneously occurring reactions: the 1st directly related to aerobic oxidation and the 2nd primarily due to the anaerobic consumption of ascorbic acid, which becomes predominant when oxygen is totally exhausted. Results also demonstrated the possible replacement of the glass containers with polymeric ones in the beverage industry.     

Active Packaging Technologies with an Emphasis on Antimicrobial Packaging and its Applications

ABSTRACT: In response to the dynamic changes in current consumer demand and market trends, the area of Active Packaging (AP) is becoming increasingly significant. Principal AP systems include those that involve oxygen scavenging, moisture absorption and control, carbon dioxide and ethanol generation, and antimicrobial (AM) migrating and nonmigrating systems. Of these active packaging systems, the AM version is of great importance. This article reviews: (1) the different categories of AP concepts with particular regard to the activity of AM packaging and its effects on food products, (2) the development of AM and AP materials, and (3) the current and future applications of AM packaging.     

Self‐Assembled Carbohydrate Polymers for Food Applications: A Review

The self‐assembled natural and synthetic polymers are booming. However, natural polymers obtained from native or modified carbohydrate polymers (CPs), such as celluloses, chitosan, glucans, gums, pectins, and starches, have had special attention as raw material in the manufacture of self‐assembled polymer composite materials having several forms: films, hydrogels, micelles, and particles. The easy manipulation of the architecture of the CPs, as well as their high availability in nature, low cost, and being sustainable and green polymers have been the main positive points in the use of them for different applications. CPs have been used as building blocks for composite structures, and their easy orientation and ordering has given rise to self‐assembled CPs (SCPs). These macromolecules have been little studied for food applications. Nonetheless, their research has grown mainly in the last 5 years as encapsulated food additive wall materials, food coatings, and edible films. The multifaceted properties (systems sensitive to pH, temperature, ionic strength, types of ions, mechanical force, and enzymes) of these devices are leading to the development of advanced food materials. This review article focused on the analysis of SCPs for food applications in order to encourage other research groups for their preparation and implementation.