A Review on Antimicrobial Packaging for Extending the Shelf Life of Food

Abstract

Food packaging systems are continually impacted by the growing demand for minimally processed foods, changing eating habits, and food safety risks. Minimally processed foods are prone to the growth of harmful microbes, compromising quality and safety. As a result, the need for improved food shelf life and protection against foodborne diseases alongside consumer preference for minimally processed foods with no or lesser synthetic additives foster the development of innovative technologies such as antimicrobial packaging. It is a form of active packaging that can release antimicrobial substances to suppress the activities of specific microorganisms, thereby improving food quality and safety during long-term storage. However, antimicrobial packaging continues to be a very challenging technology. This study highlights antimicrobial packaging concepts, providing different antimicrobial substances used in food packaging. We review various types of antimicrobial systems. Emphasis is given to the effectiveness of antimicrobial packaging in various food applications, including fresh and minimally processed fruit and vegetables and meat and dairy products. For the development of antimicrobial packaging, several approaches have been used, including the use of antimicrobial sachets inside packaging, packaging films, and coatings incorporating active antimicrobial agents. Due to their antimicrobial activity and capacity to extend food shelf life, regulate or inhibit the growth of microorganisms and ultimately reduce the potential risk of health hazards, natural antimicrobial agents are gaining significant importance and attention in developing antimicrobial packaging systems. Selecting the best antimicrobial packaging system for a particular product depends on its nature, desired shelf life, storage requirements, and legal considerations. The current review is expected to contribute to research on the potential of antimicrobial packaging to extend the shelf life of food and also serves as a good reference for food innovation information.

Recent trends in the application of films and coatings based on starch, cellulose, chitin, chitosan, xanthan, gellan, pullulan, Arabic gum, alginate, pectin, and carrageenan in food packaging

“…The alginate‐ and carrageenan‐based films are commonly produced by employing a solution casting approach, and it has been reported that the neat films are brittle, and physical properties (mechanical, barrier, and hydrophobicity) are relatively weak for food packaging purposes (Roy & Rhim, 2020d; Santos et al., 2022a; Wang et al., 2023). Therefore, to enhance the physical and functional performances of both films, usually plasticizers, other polymers, cross‐linkers, and bioactive functional ingredients (nanofillers, plant extract, bioactive compounds, natural colorant, and EOs) are usually added into the film‐forming formulation (Bose et al., 2023; Fadiji et al., 2023; Ghosh et al., 2023; Kishore et al., 2023; Roy, Ezati, et al., 2023; Roy, Zhang, et al., 2023). The combination of other polymers and the addition of plasticizers and cross‐linkers are highly effective to improve the packaging films’ physical properties; on the flip side, the incorporation of functional additives helps to impart the antioxidant, antimicrobial activity into the film (Khan, Priyadarshi, et al., 2023; Shankar & Rhim, 2018; Tran et al., 2020; Zhang et al., 2022).…”

Poly (Ethyl Methacrylate) (PEMA) and its Composites for Various Applications: Background, Recent Progress, and Future challenges

“…PEMA-based laminates can be used to improve the barrier properties of packaging materials, such as oxygen and moisture barriers, improving the shelf life of packaged products. [7,8] PEMA can be easily modified with other polymers or additives to enhance its properties further. For example, PEMA can be modified with impact modifiers to increase its toughness or with UV stabilizers to enhance its resistance to UV radiation.…”

“…PEMA‐based laminates can be used to improve the barrier properties of packaging materials, such as oxygen and moisture barriers, improving the shelf life of packaged products. [ 7,8 ]…”

“…Some of the common applications of PEMA (Figure 1b) are in the fields of biomedical, 3D printing, adhesive and coating, energy storage devices, electronics, and packaging, etc . [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Further, PEMA is biocompatible and can be used to make medical implants, such as bone plates, screws, and dental implants. Thus, it is an acrylic-based polymer that can be produced in a range of molecular weights, thereby allowing for the customization of mechanical and rheological properties.…”

“…PEMA can also be used in the production of flexible packaging materials, such as films and laminates. [7,8] PEMA can be used in electronic devices as a dielectric material. Due to its high dielectric constant and low dielectric loss, PEMA can also be used as an adhesive in electronic applications.…”