Types And Functions Of Active Packaging In Food Supply System

Introduction

In the food supply system packaging imparts evaluative role. the foremost function of packaging is to provide a repository for the food, permits cost effective transport within the food supply chain, halting any physical damage and sheltering against manipulation and pilfering. By halting any undesirable chemical and biological changes packaging provides the basic needs to sustain food quality and safety from manufacturing to final consumption. As a consequence, the packaging acts as a hurdle to preserve the food from atmospheric impact such as light, moisture, dust, oxygen, volatiles, pest and both microbiological and chemical contamination. The shielding role of packaging is majorly passive, imparts a block between food, surrounding environment of the food and the external atmosphere. But some foods such as fresh produce which requires a high permeability of gas or packaging which are perforated are used to permits gas in and out through packaging system.

There is a growing consumer trend towards high-quality natural foods which are less processed, do not contain preserving substances but provides a desirable shelflife. . In response, the protective function of packaging has been refined and improved leading to the development of new packaging technologies, such as modified atmosphere packaging, active packaging.

Active packaging

Active packaging can be termed as a method in which the package, environment and the product collaborate in a positive way to improve the shelf life or to attain some attributes it also defined as a sort of packaging that changes the state of packaging material to enhance the sensory attributes an improve the safety of product while sustaining the quality of packaged product. The aim of active packaging is to extend the shelf life of food and boost the preservation of food in the package. By the utilization of variety of strategies, we can approach the aim of active packaging includes oxygen removal, temoperature control, addition of chemicals or natural acids and by addition of antioxidants.

Antioxidant active packaging

Antioxidants are mostly used in food products to surpass the oxidation strength of the food to enhance the shelf life. As the consumer demand increased towards the reduction of antioxidants and additives in foods, in packaging films antioxidants are integrated as a source of antioxidants in some foods. Antioxidant integration can also sustain the polymer inorder to preserve the films from degradation.

Antioxidant active packaging consist of active agents, the aim of these active agents in the packaging film to interact with the meat products or its surrounding environment, either through catching pro-oxidant compounds or by liberating antioxidant compounds to retard degradation which as a result of lipid oxidation. Oxidative deterioration deterioration of meat and meat products can be solved by using these active antioxidant packlaging in future.

The aim of antioxidant active packaging, to interact with meat productys or its surrounding environment consists of including active agents in the packaging which interact with meat and/or its environment, either by catching pro-oxidant compounds or by liberating antioxidant compounds in order to retard degradation due to lipid oxidation. Therefore, the use of active packaging is presented as a future option to solve the problems derived from oxidative deterioration of meat and meat products.

Oxidative reactions like formation of rancid odour and colour changes in meat products and fatty fishes can be retard by incoperation of natural antioxidants in packaging film. Vitamin E is highly effective and safe for low to medium water activity snack products and cereals, and it is stable under processing conditions. A new trend has been start in antioxidant active packaging is that to replace synthetic additives with natural antioxidants in which includes tocopherols, essential oils, and plant extracts from herbs such as rosemary, oregano, cinnamon and from tea. For exapmle, the incoperation of green tea extract in packaging of pork meat has been successfully proved. Addition of plant extracts and essential oils in packaging films not only increase the shelf life of the product but also provide health benefits to the consumer through their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

Antimicrobial active packaging

The usage of antimicrobial compounds in active packaging is one of the utmost concept in meat industry by not only extending the shelf life, to make sure or protect food safety but also provide health benefits to to the consumer through their antimicrobial properties. it is necessary to pay carefull attention towards meat products to retard the bacterial counts, because meat is perishable products, which offers excellent nutrients to pathogenic and spoilage microorganism to grow. Spoilage microorganisms including bacteria, molds and yeast, and pathogenic micrograms, predominantly Salmonella spp. , Clostridium perfringens, , Clostridium botulinum, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 are of great concern as they are responsible for quality deterioration and food safety issues in meat.

The recent antimicrobial uses can be attained either by incoperation of antimicrobial compounds into the packaging film or by adding antimicrobial polymers to fulfil the requirement of conventional food packaging. antimicrobial packaging restrict the microbial growth by expanding the lag period The predominant functions of antimicrobial packaging films are safety assurance, Quality maintainance and shelf life extension. Antimicrobial food packaging are required for those products which are perishable and sensitive to microbial growth. While there is no need of antimicrobial packaging system for those products which are not susceptic to microbial growth.

The antimicrobial agents are librated to the food surface from the packaging film to decelerate the growth of microorganisms. A substantial number of antimicrobial agents, including essential oils ethanol, carbon dioxide, antibiotics, bacteriocins, spices and organic acids have been studied for the aim of retarding the growth of microorganisms in foods. Need to pay attention in addition of antimicrobial agents because these may be released into the food product so that’s why they shoud be food grade additive and ought to meet the food safety standards.