Active packaging systems with emphasis on its applications in dairy products

Valorization of edible films based on chitosan/hydroxyethyl cellulose/olive leaf extract and TiO2-NPs for preserving sour cream

Biodegradable edible films for sour cream packaging were developed based on chitosan (CS), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), Olive leaf extract (OE), and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs). The prepared CS/HEC/TiO2-OE bionanocomposite films were evaluated for their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities as well as using FT-IR, mechanical, permeability, and contact angle. The effect of developed films on the lipid oxidation, microbiological load, and chemical properties of sour cream was investigated. The fabricated films had an antimicrobial impact against all tested strains. The film containing 8 % OE showed effective protection against fat oxidation, with a peroxide value of 3.21 meq O2/kg, a para-anisidine value 5.40, and free fatty acids of 0.82 mg KOH/kg. The films with OE 4 % and 8 % have a good effect on the microbiological load of sour cream for 90 days. These films did not influence the chemical composition of sour cream and therefore can be used in this sort of dairy product.

Reflections on food security and smart packaging

Estimating the number of COVID-19 cases in 2020 exacerbated the food contamination and food supply issues. These problems make consumers more concerned about food and the need to access accurate information on food quality. One of the main methods for preserving the quality of food commodities for export, storage, and finished products is food packaging itself. In the food industry, food packaging has a significant role in the food supply which acts as a barrier against unwanted substances and preserves the quality of the food. Meanwhile, packaging waste can also harm the environment; namely, it can become waste in waterways or become garbage that accumulates because it is nonrenewable and nonbiodegradable. The problem of contaminated food caused by product packaging is also severe. Therefore, to overcome these challenges of safety, environmental impact, and sustainability, the role of food packaging becomes very important and urgent. In this review, the authors will discuss in more detail about new technologies applied in the food industry related to packaging issues to advance the utilization of Smart Packaging and Active Packaging.

A Review on Antimicrobial Packaging for Extending the Shelf Life of Food

Food packaging systems are continually impacted by the growing demand for minimally processed foods, changing eating habits, and food safety risks. Minimally processed foods are prone to the growth of harmful microbes, compromising quality and safety. As a result, the need for improved food shelf life and protection against foodborne diseases alongside consumer preference for minimally processed foods with no or lesser synthetic additives foster the development of innovative technologies such as antimicrobial packaging. It is a form of active packaging that can release antimicrobial substances to suppress the activities of specific microorganisms, thereby improving food quality and safety during long-term storage. However, antimicrobial packaging continues to be a very challenging technology. This study highlights antimicrobial packaging concepts, providing different antimicrobial substances used in food packaging. We review various types of antimicrobial systems. Emphasis is given to the effectiveness of antimicrobial packaging in various food applications, including fresh and minimally processed fruit and vegetables and meat and dairy products. For the development of antimicrobial packaging, several approaches have been used, including the use of antimicrobial sachets inside packaging, packaging films, and coatings incorporating active antimicrobial agents. Due to their antimicrobial activity and capacity to extend food shelf life, regulate or inhibit the growth of microorganisms and ultimately reduce the potential risk of health hazards, natural antimicrobial agents are gaining significant importance and attention in developing antimicrobial packaging systems. Selecting the best antimicrobial packaging system for a particular product depends on its nature, desired shelf life, storage requirements, and legal considerations. The current review is expected to contribute to research on the potential of antimicrobial packaging to extend the shelf life of food and also serves as a good reference for food innovation information.

What is the role of active packaging in the future of food sustainability? A systematic review

Nowadays, the strong increase in products consumption, the purchase of products on online platforms as well as the requirements for greater safety and food protection are a concern for food and packaging industries. Active packaging brings huge advances in the extension of product shelf-life and food degradation and losses reduction. This systematic work aims to collect and evaluate all existing strategies and technologies of active packaging that can be applied in food products, with a global view of new possibilities for food preservation. Oxygen scavengers, carbon dioxide emitters/absorbers, ethylene scavengers, antimicrobial and antioxidant active packaging, and other active systems and technologies are summarized including the products commercially available and the respective mechanisms of action. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Biopolymer Food Packaging Films Incorporated with Essential Oils

Petroleum-based packaging materials are typically nonbiodegradable, which leads to significant adverse environmental and health issues. Therefore, developing novel efficient, biodegradable, and nontoxic food packaging film materials has attracted increasing attention from researchers. Due to significant research and advanced technology, synthetic additives in packaging materials are progressively replaced with natural substances such as essential oils (EOs). EOs demonstrate favorable antioxidant and antibacterial properties, which would be an economical and effective alternative to synthetic additives. This review summarized the possible antioxidant and antimicrobial mechanisms of various EOs. We analyzed the properties and performance of food packaging films based on various biopolymers incorporated with EOs. The progress in intelligent packaging materials has been discussed as a prospect of food packaging materials. Finally, the current challenges regarding the practical application of EOs-containing biopolymer films in food packaging and areas of future research have been summarized.

Active Food Packaging Made of Biopolymer-Based Composites

Food packaging plays a vital role in protecting food products from environmental damage and preventing contamination from microorganisms. Conventional food packaging made of plastics produced from unrenewable fossil resources is hard to degrade and poses a negative impact on environmental sustainability. Natural biopolymers are attracting interest for reducing environmental problems to achieve a sustainable society, because of their abundance, biocompatibility, biodegradability, chemical stability, and non-toxicity. Active packaging systems composed of these biopolymers and biopolymer-based composites go beyond simply acting as a barrier to maintain food quality. This review provides a comprehensive overview of natural biopolymer materials used as matrices for food packaging. The antioxidant, water barrier, and oxygen barrier properties of these composites are compared and discussed. Furthermore, biopolymer-based composites integrated with antimicrobial agents-such as inorganic nanostructures and natural products-are reviewed, and the related mechanisms are discussed in terms of antimicrobial function. In summary, composites used for active food packaging systems can inhibit microbial growth and maintain food quality.

Biodegradable active packaging: Components, preparation, and applications in the preservation of postharvest perishable fruits and vegetables

The consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is restricted by the susceptibility of fresh produce to deterioration caused by postharvest physiological and metabolic activities. Developing efficient preservation strategies is thus among the most important scientific issues to be urgently addressed in the field of food science. The incorporation of active agents into a polymer matrix to prepare biodegradable active packaging is being increasingly explored to mitigate the postharvest spoilage of fruits and vegetables during storage. This paper reviews the composition of biodegradable polymers and the methods used to prepare biodegradable active packaging. In addition, the interactions between bioactive ingredients and biodegradable polymers that can lead to plasticizing or cross-linking effects are summarized. Furthermore, the applications of biodegradable active (i.e., antibacterial, antioxidant, ethylene removing, barrier, and modified atmosphere) packaging in the preservation of fruits and vegetables are illustrated. These films may increase sensory acceptability, improve quality, and prolong the shelf life of postharvest products. Finally, the challenges and trends of biodegradable active packaging in the preservation of fruits and vegetables are discussed. This review aims to provide new ideas and insights for developing novel biodegradable active packaging materials and their practical application in the preservation of postharvest fruits and vegetables.

Microscopic and Structural Studies of an Antimicrobial Polymer Film Modified with a Natural Filler Based on Triterpenoids

The aspects of component visualization of the antimicrobial triterpenoids (betulin) additive, both on the surface and in the bulk of the polymer, constituting food film packaging, are considered. This paper presents new knowledge about the morphology and surface structure of modified films using three independent methodological approaches: optical microscopy; a histological method adapted to packaging materials; and a method of attenuated total internal reflection (ATR) spectroscopy in the infrared region with Fourier transform. The use of these methods shows the betulin granules, individual or forming chains. To visualize the antimicrobial additive in the polymer bulk, a modified histological method adapted for film materials and attenuated total internal reflection (ATR) spectroscopy in the infrared region were used with Fourier transform using a Lumos Bruker microscope (Germany) (ATR crystal based on germanium). Sample sections were analyzed using Leica 818 blades at an angle of 45 degrees. The histological method consists of the study of a biological object thin section, in the transmitted light of a microscope, stained with contrast dyes to reveal its structures, and placed on a glass slide. In the method modified for the present study, instead of a biological one, a synthetic object was used, namely the developed film materials with the addition of natural organic origin. Individual granules are about 2 µm long; chains can be up to 10 µm long. The thickness of the granules ranged from 1 to 1.5 microns. It can be seen that the depth distribution of granules in the film from the inner surface to the outer one is rather uniform. Spectroscopic studies using the method of automatic ATR mapping in the region of 880 cm⁻¹ made it possible to evaluate the distribution of an antimicrobial additive based on triterpenoids on the surface and in the polymer bulk.

Trends and challenges of biopolymer-based nanocomposites in food packaging

The ultimate goal of new food packaging technologies, in addition to maintaining the quality and safety of food for the consumer, is to consider environmental concerns and reduce its impacts. In this regard, one of the solutions is to use eco-friendly biopolymers instead of conventional petroleum-based polymers. However, the challenges of using biopolymers in the food packaging industry should be carefully evaluated, and techniques to eliminate or minimize their disadvantages should be investigated. Many studies have been conducted to improve the properties of biopolymer-based packaging materials to produce a favorable product for the food industry. This article reviews the structure of biopolymer-based materials and discusses the trends and challenges of using these materials in food packaging technologies with the focus on nanotechnology and based on recent studies.

Natural antimicrobials and antioxidants added to polylactic acid packaging films. Part I: Polymer processing techniques

Currently, reducing packaging plastic waste and food losses are concerning topics in the food packaging industry. As an alternative for these challenges, antimicrobial and antioxidant materials have been developed by incorporating active agents (AAs) into biodegradable polymers to extend the food shelf life. In this context, developing biodegradable active materials based on polylactic acid (PLA) and natural compounds are a great alternative to maintain food safety and non-toxicity of the packaging. AAs, such as essential oils and polyphenols, have been added mainly as antimicrobial and antioxidant natural compounds in PLA packaging. In this review, current techniques used to develop active PLA packaging films were described in order to critically compare their feasibility, advantages, limitations, and relevant processing aspects. The analysis was focused on the processing conditions, such as operation variables and stages, and factors related to the AAs, such as their concentrations, weight losses during processing, and incorporation technique, among others. Recent developments of active PLA-based monolayers and bi- or multilayer films were also considered. In addition, patents on inventions and technologies on active PLA-based films for food packaging were reviewed. This review highlights that the selection of the processing technique and conditions to obtain active PLA depends on the type of the AA regarding its volatility, solubility, and thermosensitivity.

Recent Developments in Smart Food Packaging Focused on Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers

Food packaging has a crucial function in the modern food industry. New food packaging technologies seek to meet consumers and industrial's demands. Changes related to food production, sale practices and consumers' lifestyles, along with environmental awareness and the advance in new areas of knowledge (such as nanotechnology or biotechnology), act as driving forces to develop smart packages that can extend food shelf-life, keeping and supervising their innocuousness and quality and also taking care of the environment. This review describes the main concepts and types of active and intelligent food packaging, focusing on recent progress and new trends using biodegradable and biobased polymers. Numerous studies show the great possibilities of these materials. Future research needs to focus on some important aspects such as possibilities to scale-up, costs, regulatory aspects, and consumers' acceptance, to make these systems commercially viable.