Washington Azevedo da Silva

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.

Assessment of the efficiency of essential oils in the preservation of postharvest papaya in an antimicrobial packaging system

Summary Rot and damage caused by post-harvest phytopathogenic fungi affect fruit quality. Essential oils (EO) are considered as an alternative to fungicides. Postharvest diseases of fruits may also be controlled by the bagging approach and the use of antimicrobial packaging. Based on the beneficial properties of EO and the concepts of bagging and antimicrobial packaging, this study aimed to develop sachets containing EO to be used as part of an antimicrobial packaging system. The activities of oregano, cinnamon and lemon grass EO were evaluated testing the sachets in vitro against the phytopathogenic fungi Alternaria alternata, Fusarium semitectum, Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Rhizopus stolonifer. The effects of the sachets on the microbiological and physicochemical parameters of post-harvest papaya were also evaluated. Both pure and sachet-incorporated EO showed antifungal activity in vitro against all tested fungi. For papaya, sachets containing cinnamon, oregano and lemon grass showed a significant reduction in the growth of mesophilic aerobic bacteria, yeasts and mould, with the cinnamon sachet causing the greatest reduction in microorganisms at the end of the storage time. Physicochemical parameters of papaya, such as weight loss, colour, firmness, total soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio and pH were not significantly altered by the presence of EO sachets, thus not affecting the natural ripening process of the papaya.

Active and Intelligent Packaging for Milk and Milk Products

8.1 Importance and Definition of Active and Intelligent Packaging 176 8.1.1 A Brief Historical Introduction of Package Evolution 176 8.1.2 More Consumer Demand, More Packaging Functions 177 8.1.3 Concepts and Application of Active Packaging 179 8.1.3.1 Antimicrobial Packaging 179 8.1.3.2 Edible Packages 180 8.1.3.3 Oxygen Absorber 182 8.1.3.4 Ethylene Absorber 183 8.1.3.5 Humidity Absorber 184 8.1.4 Concepts and Application of Intelligent Packaging 184 8.2 Development of Antimicrobial Packaging 185 8.2.1 Commonly Used Antimicrobial Substances 186 8.2.2 Antimicrobial Incorporation into Plastic Polymers 187 8.2.3 Antimicrobial Immobilization in Polymers 188 8.2.4 Surface Modification 189 8.2.5 Factors to Consider in the Production of Antimicrobial Films ........ 190 8.3 Nanotechnology—Applications in Food Packaging 190 8.4 Potential Use of Active and Intelligent Packaging in Milk and Milk Products 192 Acknowledgments 196 References 196

Resistência física de bainhas de plantas de arroz supridas com silício e infectadas por Rhizoctonia solani

Physical resistance of leaf sheaths of rice plants supplied with silicon and infected by Rhizoctonia solani This study aimed to associate the silicon (Si) deposition on sheaths of rice plants with an increase in physical resistance against infection by Rhizoctonia solani. Plants from the susceptible cultivars BR-Irga 409 and Labelle were grown in nutrient solution containing (+Si) or not (-Si) Si. Si concentration on sheaths of plants supplied with Si and inoculated with R. solani significantly increased compared to plants non-supplied with Si, reducing the relative lesion length at 96 hours after inoculation (hai). There were significant differences between -Si and +Si treatments for the force required of a metal needle to pass through the sheaths at 48 and 72 hai. The greater physical resistance at 24 hai was due to the fact that R. solani was growing on sheath tissue without destroying it, which could be proved by the absence of symptoms. After this period, the resistance decreased due to the rapid R. solani growth. However, on sheaths of plants supplied with Si, the force required for the needle to penetrate was higher at 48 and 72 hai. The sheath resistance of plants supplied with Si to infection by R. solani can be explained partly by the greater physical resistance due to Si deposition.