In response to the dynamic changes in current consumer demand and market trends, the area of Active Packaging (AP) is becoming increasingly significant. Principal AP systems include those that involve oxygen scavenging, moisture absorption and control, carbon dioxide and ethanol generation, and antimicrobial (AM) migrating and nonmigrating systems. Of these active packaging systems, the AM version is of great importance. This article reviews: (1) the different categories of AP concepts with particular regard to the activity of AM packaging and its effects on food products, (2) the development of AM and AP materials, and (3) the current and future applications of AM packaging.

: Intelligent packaging is an emerging technology that uses the communication function of the package to facilitate decision making to achieve the benefits of enhanced food quality and safety. In this paper, the term intelligent packaging is defined based on a proposed model of packaging functions, which is consistent with the historical development of food packaging. A conceptual framework is also developed to provide more precise meaning to the definition and to elucidate the anatomy of the intelligent packaging system. The latest advances in smart package devices including barcode labels, radio frequency identification tags, time‐temperature indicators, gas indicators, and biosensors are reviewed. The applications of the conceptual framework to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points and microwave ovens are illustrated. A research roadmap for intelligent packaging is also suggested.

No abstract

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a popular culinary herb, and its essential oils have been used extensively for many years in food products, perfumery, and dental and oral products. Basil essential oils and their principal constituents were found to exhibit antimicrobial activity against a wide range of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, yeast, and mold. The present paper reviews primarily the topic of basil essential oils with regards to their chemical composition, their effect on microorganisms, the test methods for antimicrobial activity determination, and their possible future use in food preservation or as the active (antimicrobial), slow release, component of an active package.

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) can be synthesized from renewable bio-derived monomers and, as such, it is an alternative to conventional petroleum-based polymers. Since PLA is a relatively new polymer, much effort has been directed toward its development in order to make it an acceptable and effective option to the more traditional petroleumbased polymers. Commercially, PLA has received considerable attention in food packaging applications with a focus on films and coatings that are suitable for short shelf life and ready-to-eat food products. The potential for PLA to be used in active packaging has also been recognized by a number of researchers. This review focuses on the use of PLA in antimicrobial systems for food packaging applications and explores the engineering characteristics and antimicrobial activity of PLA films incorporated and/or coated with antimicrobial agents.

Spices and herbal plant species have been recognized to possess a broad spectrum of active constituents that exhibit antimicrobial (AM) activity. These active compounds are produced as secondary metabolites associated with the volatile essential oil (EO) fraction of these plants. A wide range of AM agents derived from EOs have the potential to be used in AM packaging systems which is one of the promising forms of active packaging systems aimed at protecting food products from microbial contamination. Many studies have evaluated the AM activity of synthetic AM and/or natural AM agents incorporated into packaging materials and have demonstrated effective AM activity by controlling the growth of microorganisms. This review examines the more common synthetic and natural AM agents incorporated into or coated onto synthetic packaging films for AM packaging applications. The focus is on the widely studied herb varieties including basil, oregano, and thyme and their EOs.

Evaluation criteria for the cushioning properties of plastic foams were developed on the basis of their stress‐strain curves. The energy‐absorption efficiency and ideality parameters have maxima when plotted against stress. The maximum in the efficiency curve represents the strain range where maximum energy is absorbed by the foam at the corresponding stress; the higher and flatter this maximum, the better the cushioning properties of the foam. The maximum in the ideality curve represents the range where the foam transmits a constant force to the packaged product. Two flexible polyurethane foams and two semirigid bonded polyurethane chipfoams were evaluated by the proposed method.

No abstract