The purpose of this study was to develop and characterize a packaging film coating containing nisin. A spot-on-lawn assay was used to determine the effect of acid type (ascorbic, acetic, hydrochloric, lactic) and nisin level (equal increments from 10,000 IU to 9 IU) to be used in the formulation of the film coating. Zones of inhibition were measured after incubation on tryptic soy agar (37 degrees C, 48 h). Low-density polyethylene films coated with differing levels of nisin were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, tensile strength, elongation, and water vapor transmission rate. The MIC of nisin in solution was 157 mg/ml. All acids were equally inhibitory (P > 0.05), but acetic acid produced the largest zone of inhibition (21 mm). Field emission scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the cloudy appearance of the films was due to sodium chloride found in the commercially prepared nisin. Tensile strength increased as nisin concentration increased, which also corresponded to increasing film thickness. The nisin coatings (10,000 and 2,500 IU/ml) did not have a significant effect (P > 0.05) on the water vapor transmission rate of the low-density polyethylene film.

Low-density polyethylene film was coated with a solution containing a high-molecular-weight or low-molecular-weight methylcellulose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. Films contained 10000, 7500, 5000, 2500, or 0 IU/cm 2 nisin. Film samples were placed into peptone water, and 10-L samples were removed and placed onto spiral plated lawns of Listeria monocytogenes. Zones of inhibition were measured using a caliper. Films containing 5000, 7500, and 10000 IU/cm 2 nisin inhibited L. monocytogenes after 30 min; films with 7500 and 10000 IU/cm 2 nisin inhibited L. monocytogenes after 60 min and 8 h, respectively. No zones of inhibition were observed after 24 h and 4 d for all films. After 8 d, zones of inhibition were observed for films with all levels of nisin except 2500 IU/cm 2 . Films with 0 and 2500 IU/ cm 2 nisin did not produce zones of inhibition throughout the study. Molecular weight of the cellulose-based carrier had no effect on inhibition of L. monocytogenes. A standard curve of inhibition was developed using solutions of 10000, 7500, 5000, 2500, or 0 IU/cm 2 nisin applied directly to lawns of L. monocytogenes. The amount of inhibition using a direct application of a solution was 25% to 50% more effective for inhibition of L. monocytogenes compared with the coated film samples. Overall, the coated film samples were effective for inhibition of L. monocytogenes, particularly when 7500 and 10000 IU/cm 2 nisin were used, but the release of nisin was not controlled and did not provide consistent inhibition throughout the 8-d study.