Geany Peruch Camilloto

Recent Patents on Active Packaging for Food Application

Active packaging, a new concept in the field of food packaging, has been developed in order to meet the new demands of consumers and the diverse goals existing in the food industry. There are several types of active packaging, including gas, moisture, and UV absorbers, as well as flavor, antioxidant, and antimicrobial releasers. In this review, we aim to highlight recent patents and developments in active packaging, as well as the principles of action for each of these technologies. Active packaging is an innovative area, which allows the production of food products with better sensorial features and extended shelf-life, thus ensuring enhanced food quality and safety. It is important to inform consumers about this new technology, since it may be a revolutionary tool in the food technology area.

Oxygen Scavengers: An Approach on Food Preservation

Oxygen (O2) presence in food packages is mainly due to failures in the packaging process, such as mixture of gases containing oxygen residues, or inefficient vacuum. Vacuum packaging has been widely used to eliminate oxygen in the package prior to sealing. However, the oxygen that permeates from the outside environment into the package through the packaging material cannot be removed by this method (Byun et al., 2011).

Effect of Active Packaging Incorporated with Triclosan on Bacteria Adhesion

Antimicrobial polyethylene and cellulose based films incorporated with triclosan were studied. The antimicrobial efficacy, the hydrophobicity, microscopic and the mechanical characteristics of the films, as well free energy of adhesion between bacteria and antimicrobial films were evaluated. It was observed that both polyethylene and cellulose based films incorporated with the antimicrobial were homogeneous. Furthermore, the addition of triclosan did not affect mechanical characteristics of the films (P > 0.05). However, triclosan incorporated into polyethylene films reduced its hydrophobicity while antimicrobial cellulose based films became more hydrophobic. The adhesion was thermodynamically favorable between tested bacteria and polyethylene films. On the other hand, the adhesion to triclosan cellulose based film was thermodynamically unfavorable to Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and favorable to Listeria innocua and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Polyethylene and cellulose based films showed inhibitory effect against S. aureus and E. coli, being the inhibition halo higher for polyethylene films. This study improves the knowledge about antimicrobial films.

Antimicrobial and aromatic edible coating on fresh-cut pineapple preservation

The present research aimed to develop an edible coating incorporated with mint essential oil, evaluate its effectiveness in inhibiting in vitro microbial development, and improve both quality and shelf-life of fresh-cut pineapple. Mint essential oil-containing edible coatings showed in vitro antimicrobial efficiency against Escherichia coli and Salmonella Enteritidis. Titratable acidity, pH, and texture were not affected (P>0.05) by coating or storage time. Mass loss was not higher than 1.0% after the 6th day of storage. No effect of storage time and coating on total soluble solids was observed. Mint essential oil-containing coatings inhibited the growth of yeasts and molds in fresh-cut pineapple. Compared to uncoated and control-coated samples, mint essential oil-containing coatings lessened psychrotrophic bacteria counts throughout storage. Counts of thermotolerant coliforms were not higher than 3.0MPN·g-1 in all treatments, whereas no Salmonella sp. was detected during the 6-day storage. Mint essential oil provided a strong flavor to the fruit, as shown by sensory evaluations.