Trends in the use of natural antioxidants in active food packaging: a review

Abstract

The demand for natural antioxidant active packaging is increasing due to its unquestionable advantages compared with the addition of antioxidants directly to the food. Therefore, the search for antioxidants perceived as natural, namely those that naturally occur in herbs and spices, is a field attracting great interest. In line with this, in the last few years, natural antioxidants such as α-tocopherol, caffeic acid, catechin, quercetin, carvacrol and plant extracts (e.g. rosemary extract) have been incorporated into food packaging. On the other hand, consumers and the food industry are also interested in active biodegradable/compostable packaging and edible films to reduce environmental impact, minimise food loss and minimise contaminants from industrial production and reutilisation by-products. The present review focuses on the natural antioxidants already applied in active food packaging, and it reviews the methods used to determine the oxidation protection effect of antioxidant active films and the methods used to quantify natural antioxidants in food matrices or food simulants. Lastly consumers' demands and industry trends are also addressed.

Application of nanoemulsions (w/o) with active compounds of cactus pear fruit in starch films to improve antioxidant activity and incorporate antibacterial property

“…Various chemical modifications have been carried out, and mixtures with other polymers as strategies produce starch‐based materials with a higher resistance to elements/factors such as water (Mokrejs et al, ; Morales, Barros, Ramírez‐Moreno, Santos‐Buelga, & Ferreira, ; Palma‐Rodríguez et al, ; Tang & Alavi, ) and chayotextle tuber starch and films, which were characterized by Jiménez‐Hernández, Salazar‐Montoya, and Ramos‐Ramírez () and Hernandez‐Uribe et al () and tested by Aila‐Suarez et al (), which added other starches and cellulose to the mixture in order to improve the mechanical properties of the films that were obtained. On the other hand, food packaging has evolved into active packaging, which is based on the properties of the polymer with which it is made and/or the properties of the active ingredients that are incorporated into the packaging systems, to preserve quality and extend the shelf life of foods (Sanches‐Silva et al, ).…”

Innovations in the food packaging market: active packaging

“…It is in practice that bifunctional sachets are used for this purpose (labels and mats), which contain a CO 2 emitter and an oxygen scavenger, which absorb oxygen and produce the same volume of carbon dioxide. Iron carbonate Source: study based on: [10,11,14,[27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41] [8].…”

Synthesis and antioxidant evaluation of isochroman-derivatives of hydroxytyrosol: Structure–activity relationship

“…During food processing, transport or storage, oxidative degradation of unsaturated fatty acids takes place having negative repercussions on food quality. Therefore, avoiding such oxidation represents a challenge for the food industry as well as the cosmetic industry (Sanches-Silva et al, 2014;Liu, Jin & Zhang, 2014). Oxidation may be counteracted to a certain extent by adding antioxidants that may prevent or delay oxidative reactions.…”