Hyun-Ju Yang

Antioxidant activities of distiller dried grains with solubles as protein films containing tea extracts and their application in the packaging of pork meat.

Distiller dried grains with solubles (DDGS) as protein (DP) films were prepared. Additionally, to prepare anti-oxidant films, green tea extract (GTE), oolong tea extract (OTE), and black tea extract (BTE) were incorporated into the DP films. Consequently, the incorporation of the tea extracts did not alter the physical properties of the films much, whereas the antioxidant activities, such as ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities were observed. To apply the DP films containing tea extracts to food packaging, pork meat was wrapped with the films and stored at 4 °C for 10 d. During storage, the pork meat wrapped with the DP films containing GTE, OTE, and BTE had less lipid oxidation than did the control. Among the tea extracts, the DP film containing GTE had the greatest antioxidant activity. These results indicate that the DP films containing green tea extracts can be utilized as an anti-oxidative packaging material for pork meat.

Application of a puffer fish skin gelatin film containing Moringa oleifera Lam. leaf extract to the packaging of Gouda cheese

AbstractThis study aims to develop a puffer fish skin gelatin (PSG) film that contains Moringa oleifera Lam. leaf extract (ME) as a new biodegradable film. With the increase in ME concentration, the tensile strength and elongation at break of the PSG film increased, whereas the oxygen permeability and water vapor permeability decreased. In addition, the PSG film with ME exhibited antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes and antioxidant activity. To apply the ME-containing PSG film to food packaging, Gouda cheese was wrapped with the ME-containing PSG film. During storage, the cheese packaging with the ME-containing PSG film effectively inhibited the microbial growth and retarded the lipid oxidation of cheese compared with the control sample. Thus, the ME-containing PSG film can be used as an antimicrobial and antioxidative packaging material to improve the quality of food products.

Characterization of a starfish gelatin film containing vanillin and its application in the packaging of crab stick

To explore the use of starfish gelatin (SFG) films as a biodegradable material, SFG from starfish was extracted and used as a film material. In addition, to provide antimicrobial activity and enhanced flavor of SFG films, vanillin was incorporated. As the concentration of vanillin increased, the tensile strength of the films increased and water vapor permeability decreased. With regard to the structural characteristics of SFG films containing vanillin, the microstructure of the SFG films was not affected by the addition of vanillin. In addition, the SFG films containing vanillin exhibited antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes. As the application of the SFG films, crab sticks were packed with SFG films containing 0.05% vanillin. During storage, the populations of L. monocytogenes inoculated on crab sticks wrapped with SFG films containing vanillin were lower than those on the control sample, suggesting that SFG films containing vanillin can be useful in active food packaging.

Characterization of red ginseng residue protein films incorporated with hibiscus extract

An edible film was prepared from red ginseng residue protein (RGRP) and incorporated with hibiscus extract (HE). RGRP was extracted from red ginseng residue, which is an inexpensive by-product of the red ginseng processing industry. Different concentrations of HE were added to an RGRP film-forming solution as a natural antioxidant. The prepared RGRP films without HE had a tensile strength of 16.9 MPa and an elongation at break of 25.1%. The antioxidant activity of the RGRP film increased with increasing concentration of HE. In addition, the RGRP film with 1% HE exhibited the lowest value of water vapor permeability (1.88×10−9 g·m/m2·s·Pa), which indicates that the film has high water barrier property. The results present the production of edible films from discarded red ginseng residue, and the antioxidant activity of RGRP films as a packaging material can prevent lipid oxidation and quality loss of food products.

Application of Lemongrass Oil-Containing Polylactic Acid Films to the Packaging of Pork Sausages.

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable and renewable polymer, which represents a valuable alternative to plastic packaging films, often associated with environmental problems. In this study, we tested the suitability of PLA as a biodegradable packaging film and assessed the antimicrobial activity of lemongrass oil (LO), incorporated into the PLA film in different concentrations. To obtain the optimal physical properties for PLA films, tensile strength, elongation at break, and water vapor permeability were measured under different preparation conditions. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of the LO contained in the PLA film against Listeria monocytogenes was investigated by disc diffusion and viable cell count. Among all concentrations tested, 2% LO was the most suitable in terms of antimicrobial activity and physical properties of the PLA film. Based on these results, we used the PLA film containing 2% LO to pack pork sausages; after 12 d of storage at 4℃, the population of inoculated L. monocytogenes in the sausage samples wrapped with the PLA film containing 2% LO was reduced by 1.47 Log CFU/g compared with the control samples. Our data indicate that PLA films containing 2% LO represent a valuable means for antimicrobial sausage packaging.

Application of edible film and coating in food quality maintenance of grape berries

Fruits and vegetables (FV) are known to contain considerable amounts of vitamins and minerals in addition to phytonutrients and bioactive compounds having many positive health effects in the prevention of diseases such as cardiovascular illnesses, cancer, etc. Therefore, it is crucial to evaluate the FV consumption as sources of phytonutrients of the Lebanese population. A cross sectional analysis of 390 Lebanese individuals aged between 20 and 65 years old located in six Mohafazat (Beirut, Mount Lebanon, North, South, Nabatieh and Bekaa), was conducted. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, eating behaviour, food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and awareness information were collected through a questionnaire specifically adapted for the purpose of the study. Statistical analysis was carried out and multivariate models were used in order to evaluate the association between fruits and vegetables consumption and different independent factors. The FV consumption among the Lebanese population was acceptable compared to the international recommendations. Regarding vegetables, 38.5% of the Lebanese respondents, showed a high level of consumption versus 37.98 % having a low level of consumption. Related to fruit consumption, 38.08 % Lebanese respondents consuming high levels of fruits compared to 36.54% of the Lebanese respondents, showing a low fruits intake. Furthermore, it was observed that the majority of the study population was highly aware of the importance of phytonutrients in FV and were willing to consume these food items more and more, 49.23% of the Lebanese population. The FV consumption was the most associated with the area of residence, age, education level, work, salary ranges, weight loss diet, physical activity, smoking, supplement intake the monthly amount of money spent on food and consumptions of starch, dairy products, meat, herbs and juices. The findings stated that the consumption of FV in Lebanon is acceptable, even though it is affected by several socio demographic and lifestyle factors. Future governmental or national programs and interventions could be settled to encourage and increase the FV consumption among all the population age levels and areas of residence.