Biopolymers, like polysaccharides and proteins, are sustainable and green materials with excellent film-forming potential. Bio-based films have gained a lot of attention and are believed to be an alternative to plastics in next-generation food packaging. Compared to conventional plastics, biopolymers inherently have certain limitations like hydrophilicity, poor thermo-mechanical, and barrier properties. Therefore, the modification of biopolymers or their films provide an opportunity to develop packaging materials with desired characteristics. Among different modification approaches, the application of cold plasma has been a very efficient technology to enhance the functionality and interfacial characteristics of biopolymers. Cold plasma is biocompatible, shows uniformity in treatment, and is suitable for heat-sensitive components. This review provides information on different plasma generating equipment used for the modification of films and critically analyses the impact of cold plasma on packaging properties of films prepared from protein, polysaccharides, and their combinations. Most studies to date have shown that plasma treatment effectively enhances surface characteristics, mechanical, and thermal properties, while its impact on the improvement of barrier properties is limited. Plasma treatment increases surface roughness that enables surface adhesion, ink printability, and reduces the contact angle. Plasma-treated films loaded with antimicrobial compounds demonstrate strong antimicrobial efficacy, mainly due to the increase in their diffusion rate and the non-thermal nature of cold plasma that protects the functionality of bioactive compounds. This review also elaborates on the existing challenges and future needs. Overall, it can be concluded that the application of cold plasma is an effective strategy to modify the inherent limitations of biopolymer-based packaging materials for food packaging applications.
Pale, soft, exudative (PSE) pork poses many problems for ham processors with the colour and texture of the final product being of major concern. As visual assessment is the primary, and often the only, method used by these producers, they require objective methods of assessing the quality of the raw material prior to production of hams. This study was conducted to establish the relationship between objective colour measurements and subjective (visual) methods of assessing pork meat quality and to ascertain the ability of objective colour measurements (CIE L* and percentage reflectance) to accurately segregate porcine muscles according to quality, prior to ham production. Pork topsides (M. semi-membranosus and M. adductor) were visually assessed by experienced industry personnel, from a large ham producing company, as being ‘pale’ (n 489) or ‘good’ (n 625) in colour. CIE L* and percentage reflectance (%R) were then recorded on all muscles. Pearson’s correlation coefficients confirmed a significant relationship between visually assessed meat and both L* (r 0.71) and reflectance (r 0.71). CIE L* above 57 and%R below 43% correctly classified 75% of the ‘pale’ topsides. CIE L* below 53 and%R above 53% correctly classified 75% of the ‘good’ topsides. Muscles were processed and colour, texture, sliceability and water holding capacity of the resulting ham products were determined. Hams produced using ‘pale’ topsides had significantly higher (p 0.001) CIE L* and b* values and lower%R (p 0.001), moisture content (p 0.001) and water holding capacity (p 0.05). The textural characteristics of the hams were significantly different (p 0.05) and those produced using ‘good’ meat had greater cohesiveness, chewiness, gumminess and springiness. This study indicates that these objective methods may have potential in the classification of topsides prior to ham processing.
Variation in quality traits may occur between the different muscles within a carcass and also within a muscle. This study examined inter-and intramuscular variation and the resulting effect on measurements (pH, conductivity and colour) taken within 24 h post mortem. The effect of shackling on these quality prediction measurements was also determined. Finally the inherent variability of quality attributes within porcine M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) was examined at 4 days post mortem. Significant intermuscular variation was detected at 24 h post mortem, with higher pH and conductivity values recorded in the M. semimembranosus (SM) than in the LTL. pH and conductivity measurements in both muscle types were correlated (r = 0.46-0.88, P < 0.05) at 45 min and 3 h post mortem. CIE L * and a * values, % reflectance and Japanese pork colour scores were significantly (P < 0.001) different in the neck region (M. biventer cervicis and M. splenius) than on the surface of the SM and M. gluteus medius. An intramuscular effect was not observed in either SM or LTL muscles. Shackling did not introduce a significant variation between sides for pH, conductivity and colour measurements taken up to 24 h post mortem. At 4 days post mortem it was determined that the water-holding capacity, tenderness (Warner-Bratzler Shear force) and composition of the LTL are not dependent on sampling location within the muscle. These results suggest that meat quality measurements are uniform throughout the LTL (loin) and that a significant relationship exists between the LTL and SM muscles.
Suitable packaging material in combination with high-pressure processing (HPP) can retain nutritional and organoleptic qualities besides extending the product’s shelf life of food products. However, the selection of appropriate packaging materials suitable for HPP is tremendously important because harsh environments like high pressure and high temperature during the processing can result in deviation in the visual and functional properties of the packaging materials. Traditionally, fossil-based plastic packaging is preferred for the HPP of food products, but these materials are of serious concern to the environment. Therefore, bio-based packaging systems are proposed to be a promising alternative to fossil-based plastic packaging. Some studies have scrutinized the impact of HPP on the functional properties of biopolymer-based packaging materials. This review summarizes the HPP application on biopolymer-based film-forming solutions and pre-formed biopolymer-based films. The impact of HPP on the key packaging properties such as structural, mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties in addition to the migration of additives from the packaging material into food products were systemically analyzed. HPP can be applied either to the film-forming solution or preformed packages. Structural, mechanical, hydrophobic, barrier, and thermal characteristics of the films are enhanced when the film-forming solution is exposed to HPP overcoming the shortcomings of the native biopolymers-based film. Also, biopolymer-based packaging mostly PLA based when exposed to HPP at low temperature showed no significant deviation in packaging properties indicating the suitability of their applications. HPP may induce the migration of packaging additives and thus should be thoroughly studied. Overall, HPP can be one way to enhance the properties of biopolymer-based films and can also be used for packaging food materials intended for HPP.
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