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.     

Antimicrobial activity of biodegradable polysaccharide and protein-based films containing active agents

Significant interest has emerged in the introduction of food packaging materials manufactured from biodegradable polymers that have the potential to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional packaging materials. Current technologies in active packaging enable effective antimicrobial (AM) packaging films to be prepared from biodegradable materials that have been modified and/or blended with different compatible materials and/or plasticisers. A wide range of AM films prepared from modified biodegradable materials have the potential to be used for packaging of various food products. This review examines biodegradable polymers derived from polysaccharides and protein-based materials for their potential use in packaging systems designed for the protection of food products from microbial contamination. A comprehensive table that systematically analyses and categorizes much of the current literature in this area is included in the review.     

Essential oils and their principal constituents as antimicrobial agents for synthetic packaging films

Spices and herbal plant species have been recognized to possess a broad spectrum of active constituents that exhibit antimicrobial (AM) activity. These active compounds are produced as secondary metabolites associated with the volatile essential oil (EO) fraction of these plants. A wide range of AM agents derived from EOs have the potential to be used in AM packaging systems which is one of the promising forms of active packaging systems aimed at protecting food products from microbial contamination. Many studies have evaluated the AM activity of synthetic AM and/or natural AM agents incorporated into packaging materials and have demonstrated effective AM activity by controlling the growth of microorganisms. This review examines the more common synthetic and natural AM agents incorporated into or coated onto synthetic packaging films for AM packaging applications. The focus is on the widely studied herb varieties including basil, oregano, and thyme and their EOs.     

Review of Mechanical Properties,Migration, and Potential Applications in Active Food Packaging Systems Containing Nanoclays and Nanosilver

The incorporation of nanomaterials into a range of polymeric materials shows great potential for developing new active food packaging systems. Although there are many suggested benefits of nanoparticles (NPs) in food packaging, there are also potential risks due to the possibility of such particles migrating into foodstuffs. This has obvious implications for human health and it may also negatively impact on marketing and consumer confidence. This review focuses on 2 particular types of nanomaterials: nanoclays and nanosilver, with a view to examining the effects of these on system mechanical properties (nanoclays) and antimicrobial efficacy (nanosilver). It further reports on the various migration studies, techniques for characterization, and measurement of NPs as well as the potential migration of NPs from packaging into foodstuffs. Assessment of the literature to date suggests there is an urgent need for further research in order to devise better NP detection methods and to determine the likelihood of their migration from packaging materials into foodstuffs.     

抗菌涂层包装技术研究综述

抗菌涂层是活性包装技术的一种实现形式,对现代食品的包装和储运有着重要的影响。文中就载体类型、抗菌剂性能和抗菌涂层与其他包装技术相结合3个方面的研究现状作了论述。     

南美白对虾冰温气调保鲜效果评价

将鲜南美白对虾进行空气包装(AP)、真空包装(VP)、气调包装(MAP,75% CO2/25% N2),分别冰温(－2.3～0℃)贮藏和冰藏,通过研究样品贮藏过程中多酚氧化酶(PPO)活力、总挥发性盐基氮(TVB-N)、菌落总数(TPC)、汁液流失率(DL)的变化,结合感官指标评价冰温气调保鲜的效果。结果表明：南美白对虾的PPO活力变化与腐败变质同步;冰温结合MAP能有效防止褐变,货架期可达10d,比冰藏结合AP延长了约3倍,此时样品色泽良好,TPC、TVB-N、DL分别为5.4(lg(CFU/g))、25.6mg/100g、3.13%,而其他包装样品已腐败。VP也能较好的保持色泽,但贮藏后期汁液流失相对严重,影响外观。     

Food Packaging: A Comprehensive Review and Future Trends

Innovations in food packaging systems will help meet the evolving needs of the market, such as consumer preference for “healthy” and high‐quality food products and reduction of the negative environmental impacts of food packaging. Emerging concepts of active and intelligent packaging technologies provide numerous innovative solutions for prolonging shelf‐life and improving the quality and safety of food products. There are also new approaches to improving the passive characteristics of food packaging, such as mechanical strength, barrier performance, and thermal stability. The development of sustainable or green packaging has the potential to reduce the environmental impacts of food packaging through the use of edible or biodegradable materials, plant extracts, and nanomaterials. Active, intelligent, and green packaging technologies can work synergistically to yield a multipurpose food‐packaging system with no negative interactions between components, and this aim can be seen as the ultimate future goal for food packaging technology. This article reviews the principles of food packaging and recent developments in different types of food packaging technologies. Global patents and future research trends are also discussed.     

快递包装的现状与绿色化

为加强快递包装规范化管理,促进快递包装的绿色化,北京印刷学院与国家邮政总局联合对国内绿色快递包装现状进行了调研。实地走访了快递企业、电商、快递包装供应商并进行座谈,向消费者、快递一线从业人员、快递企业、电商企业、快递包装供应商发放绿色快递包装现状调查问卷。调查结果表明:当前我国快递包装主要存在以下问题:消费者、快递企业、电商环保意识薄弱;快递包装"过度包装"严重;尚未形成快递包装废弃物回收体系;监管部门不统一,协调监管困难。建议应提高国内电商、快递包装企业、消费者的环保意识,借鉴国外先进经验,构建快递包装回收体系,推进快递包装向绿色化方向发展。     

A Review of Poly(Lactic Acid)‐Based Materials for Antimicrobial Packaging

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) can be synthesized from renewable bio‐derived monomers and, as such, it is an alternative to conventional petroleum‐based polymers. Since PLA is a relatively new polymer, much effort has been directed toward its development in order to make it an acceptable and effective option to the more traditional petroleum‐based polymers. Commercially, PLA has received considerable attention in food packaging applications with a focus on films and coatings that are suitable for short shelf life and ready‐to‐eat food products. The potential for PLA to be used in active packaging has also been recognized by a number of researchers. This review focuses on the use of PLA in antimicrobial systems for food packaging applications and explores the engineering characteristics and antimicrobial activity of PLA films incorporated and/or coated with antimicrobial agents.     

食品无菌包装技术研究进展

随着新型多聚材料和抗菌材料的出现，当今食品行业中将抗菌材料应用于食品无菌包装成为新的研究热点。本文介绍了国际上多种先进的将抗菌多聚物应用于食品包装的方法，以及它们在商业上的应用，并展望未来的无菌包装技术。     

纳米抗菌包装材料对延缓白莲藕风味品质劣变的影响

为解决白莲藕在贮运过程中风味品质劣变的问题,制备纳米抗菌包装材料延缓白莲藕衰老,将白莲藕分别包装在普通包装材料与纳米抗菌包装材料中,抽真空后贮藏在25 ℃、相对湿度35%条件下,每4 d取样测定白莲藕的丙二醛（malondialdehyde,MDA）含量和总酚含量,并测定贮藏20 d的普通包装和纳米抗菌包装白莲藕的挥发性组分代谢相关基因表达水平。通过电子鼻、气相色谱-质谱分析纳米抗菌包装材料对白莲藕风味的影响。结果表明：在贮藏末期,纳米抗菌包装组白莲藕体内MDA、总酚含量分别为0.865 4 mmol/g、5.873 mg/100 g,在贮藏过程中,纳米抗菌包装组白莲藕超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶活力高于普通包装,说明纳米抗菌包装可抑制白莲藕的衰老;另外,纳米抗菌包装可以调节白莲藕挥发性组分代谢相关基因的表达。研究证实真空贮藏条件下纳米抗菌包装材料能够调节白莲藕的基因表达,从而进一步影响莲藕品质。     

多层抗菌包装膜材料的研究进展

目前抗菌包装是食品包装研究的热点,多层抗菌包装材料相较于其他抗菌包装材料,具有机械性能好,抗菌物质释放效果理想等优势.本文介绍了以聚烯烃类膜为底膜,涂层生物聚合物膜制备的多层抗菌包装膜的方法.概述了采用表面接枝改性、电晕处理和等离子体离子注入法等方法,改善底膜和生物高分子之间的粘附性,并对今后多层抗菌包装的发展提出了展...     

抗菌包装技术及其在肉类保鲜中的应用

本文主要从抗菌机理、抗菌剂种类、抗菌包装体系设计、抗菌剂迁移和抗菌包装保鲜技术等多方面阐述了食品中抗菌包装技术的研究内容和现状,同时也论述了抗菌包装技术在肉类保鲜中的应用进展,最后提出了发展前景。     

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.     

柚子包装技术研究

以柚子为包装对象,深入分析了目前国内柚子包装现状,提出了柚子自动化包装的实现方法,确定了设备关键运动参数,并对柚子包装支撑技术进行了分析研究。     

Packaging Influenced Total Chlorophyll, Soluble Protein, Fatty Acid Composition and Lipoxygenase Activity in Broccoli Florets

Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) degradation by lipoxygenase (LOX) may contribute to postharvest deterioration of vegetables and fruits. In broccoli, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), automatic misting (AM) and vent packaging (VP) may reduce postharvest deterioration. MAP storage resulted in increased chlorophyll and C-18 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in broccoli florets by 96 hr. Reduced chlorophyll, PUFA and soluble protein were observed in nonpackaged (NP) samples. Chlorophyll remained near initial levels in vent packaged (VP) products. AM resulted in increased relative PUFA and reduced losses of soluble protein. VP reduced PUFA and soluble protein. Optimal pH of broccoli floret LOX was 5.5-6.0. Water-soluble LOX activity in MAP and NP samples followed a trend similar to PUFA changes in both samples. No differences were found among treatments when enzyme activity was expressed on soluble protein basis.     

Intelligent Packaging: Concepts and Applications

ABSTRACT: Intelligent packaging is an emerging technology that uses the communication function of the package to facilitate decision making to achieve the benefits of enhanced food quality and safety. In this paper, the term intelligent packaging is defined based on a proposed model of packaging functions, which is consistent with the historical development of food packaging. A conceptual framework is also developed to provide more precise meaning to the definition and to elucidate the anatomy of the intelligent packaging system. The latest advances in smart package devices including barcode labels, radio frequency identification tags, time-temperature indicators, gas indicators, and biosensors are reviewed. The applications of the conceptual framework to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points and microwave ovens are illustrated. A research roadmap for intelligent packaging is also suggested.     

Predictive Microbiology Coupled with Gas (O2/CO2) Transfer in Food/Packaging Systems: How to Develop an Efficient Decision Support Tool for Food Packaging Dimensioning

Coupling gas transfer with predictive microbiology is essential to rationally design modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) strategies to ensure and guarantee food safety. Nowadays, these strategies are generally empirically built and over?sized since packaging material with high barrier properties is often chosen by default even if such a high level of protection is not systematically required. Protection strategies could be improved using rational sizing based on quantitative analysis and mathematical modeling of mass transfer. This paper aims at reviewing the current knowledge available for developing such a tool and the further research needed. First there is a special focus on oxygen (O₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) solubility and diffusivity parameters, which are absolutely indispensable to accurately model mass transfer in MAP systems. Next, the current knowledge of the effect of O₂/CO₂ on the growth of microorganisms is explored with an emphasis on predictive microbiology. The last part points out the main bottlenecks and further research needed to be carried out in order to develop an efficient MAP modeling tool for food safety coupling O₂/CO₂ transfer and predictive microbiology.     

Antimicrobial Packaging for Extending the Shelf Life of Bread—A Review

Antimicrobial packaging is an important form of active packaging that can release antimicrobial substances for enhancing the quality and safety of food during extended storage. It is in response to consumers demand for preservative-free food as well as more natural, disposable, biodegradable, and recyclable food-packaging materials. The potential of a combination of allyl isothiocyanate and potassium sorbate incorporated into polymers in providing the needed natural antimicrobial protection for bread products is discussed. The role of double extrusion process as a means for obtaining a homogeneous mix of the sorbate into the polymer (polyethylene or ethylenevinyalcohol), is highlighted.