Antimicrobials

Antimicrobials in food packaging are used to enhance quality and safety by reducing surface contamination of processed food; they are not a substitute for good sanitation practices (Brody and others 2001; Cooksey 2005). Antimicrobials reduce the growth rate and maximum population of microorganisms (spoilage and pathogenic) by extending the lag phase of microbes or inactivating them (Quintavalla and Vicini 2002). Antimicrobial agents may be incorporated directly into packaging materials for slow release to the food surface or may be used in vapor form. Research is underway on the antimicrobial properties of the following agents (Wilson 2007):

through the packaged product. It is broadly effective against microorganisms but has adverse secondary effects such as darkening meat color and bleaching green vegetables.

_ Nisin Nisin has been found to be most effective against lactic

acid and Gram-positive bacteria. It acts by incorporating itself in the cytoplasmic membrane of target cells and works best in acidic conditions (Cooksey 2005).

_ Organic acids Organic acids such as acetic, benzoic, lactic,

tartaric, and propionic are used as preservative agents (Cha and Chinnan 2004).

_ Silver ions Silver salts function on direct contact, but they

migrate slowly and react preferentially with organics. Research on the use of silver nanoparticles as antimicrobials in food packaging is ongoing, but at least 1 product has already emerged: FresherLongerTM storage containers allegedly contain silver nanoparticles infused into polypropylene base material for inhibition of growth of microorganisms (NSTI 2006).

_ Allyl isothiocyanate Allyl isothiocyanate, an active

component in wasabi, mustard, and horseradish, is an effective broad spectrum antimicrobial and antimycotic. However, it has strong adverse secondary odor effects in food.

_ Spice-based essential oils Spice-based essential oils have been

studied for antimicrobial effects: for example, oregano oil in meat (Skandamis and Nyachas 2002), mustard oil in bread (Suhr and Nielsen 2005), oregano, basil (Suppakul and others 2003b), clove, carvacol, thymol, and cinnamon.

_ Ethyl alcohol Ethyl alcohol adsorbed on silica or zeolite is

emitted by evaporation and is somewhat effective but leaves a secondary odor.

_ Metal oxides Nanoscale levels of metal oxides such as

magnesium oxide and zinc oxide are being explored as antimicrobial materials for use in food packaging (Garland 2004).

_ Chlorine dioxide Chlorine dioxide is a gas that permeates

Abstract

Antimicrobial additives have been used successfully for many years as direct food additives. The literature provides evidence that some of these additives may be effective as indirect food additives incorporated into food packaging materials. Antimicrobial food packaging is directed toward the reduction of surface contamination of processed, prepared foods such as sliced meats and Frankfurter sausages (hot dogs). The use of such packaging materials is not meant to be a substitute for good sanitation practices, but it should enhance the safety of food as an additional hurdle for the growth of pathogenic and/or spoilage microorganisms. Studies have focused on establishing methods for coating low-density polyethylene film or barrier films with methyl cellulose as a carrier for nisin. These films have significantly reduced the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in solutions and in vacuum packaged hot dogs. Other research has focused on the use of chitosan to inhibit L. monocytogenes and chlorine dioxide sachets for the reduction of Salmonella on modified atmosphere-packaged fresh chicken breasts. Overall, antimicrobial packaging shows promise as an effective method for the inhibition of certain bacteria in foods, but barriers to their commercial implementation continue to exist. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16227182

Active Packaging Antimicrobial Films for Food Packaging Dr. Selcuk Yildirim Institut fr Getrnke und Lebensmittel Innova http://vorstand.sgluc.ch/110908-03_yildirim.pdf

Active Packaging: Anti-microbial Systems for Food Packaging

An exciting innovation in active packaging is the potential for the controlled release of antimicrobials from packaging materials. Antimicrobials incorporated in packaging materials could extend shelf live by preventing bacterial growth and spoilage. In one system, known as BioSwitch (de Jong et al., 2005), an antimicrobial is released on command when bacterial growth occurs. The basic concept is that a change in the environment such as pH, temperature, or UV light occurs and the antimicrobial responds accordingly. The external stimulus results in a release of the antimicrobial component of the package. In this system, the antimicrobial is released on command, and the system is active only at specific conditions. This system could potentially increase the stability and specificity of preservation and reduce the amount of chemicals needed in foods. A common example of release on command antimicrobials in food packaging is the inclusion of polysaccharide particles that encapsulate antimicrobial compounds. Many bacteria will digest polysaccharide when they grow, and so if a bacterial contamination occurs, the growth of bacteria will release the antimicrobial compounds and should inhibit subsequent microbial growth. Active and Intelligent Packaging: Innovations for the Future By Karleigh Huff Graduate Student Department of Food Science and Technology Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) Blacksburg, Va De Jong, A.R., Boumans, H., Slaghek, T., Van Veen, J., Rijk, R. and Van Zandvoort, M. 2005. Active and intelligent packaging for food: is it the future?. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A. 22:975-979 http://www.iopp.org/files/public/VirginiaTechKarleighHuff.pdf.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia4gwKYAdh4 Conclusion

HIS STUDY SHOWS THAT THE USE OF CHITOSAN COATING

OFFERS A

great advantage in preventing microbial surface growth on foods. As a result, it would allow the inhibition of the development of L. monocytogenes while being a biopackaging. Epifluorescence experiments showed bactericidal activity on L. innocua, model strain of L. monocytogenes, probably due to the positive charges of chitosan which interfere with the negatively charged residues of macromolecules at the Listeria cell surface, presumably by competing with Ca2+ for electronegative sites on the membrane without conferring dimensional stability, rendering the membrane leaky (Sudarshan and others 1992; Begin and Van Calsteren 1999). Regarding the edibility of chitosan, Tomihata and Ikada (1997) reported that in vitro and in vivo degradations, respectively carried out by lysozyme and subcutaneous implants in rats of chitosan films, occurred less rapidly as their degree of acetylation

became higher. The rate of in vivo biodegradation was very high for 68% deacetylated chitin and these authors showed that the tissue reaction towards highly deacetylated derivatives including chitosan was very mild, although they had cationic primary amines in the molecule. Taking into account that our polymer showed about 2% of acetylation, results clearly demonstrated that highly deacetylated chitosan could be used as edible or biodegradable antilisterial packaging in food applications. This was confirmed by results obtained by Nagano and others (1995) or Alexakis and others (1995), who suggested the possibility of using chitosan in oral absorbent therapy or microencapsulation for in vivo application. However, improvements will be necessary, as the study of bulk contamination of food by Listeria strains was not studied and the latter would require a gradual release of another active agent from the chitosan matrix to have significant antimicrobial efficiency.