Active and biodegradable food packaging systems

Abstract

The packaging system has become a major element in the food chain, due to that most food products reach the consumer with some type of packaging technology. Among many of the packaging material functionalities, one of the most important is to maintain or increase food quality and safety. The active packaging technology is an innovative concept that can be defined as a mode of packaging in which the package, the product, and the environment interact to prolong shelf life or enhance safety or sensory properties, while maintaining the quality of the product. The paper materials are large used as packaging within this new concept, because are cheaper than other packaging materials, are high recyclable, biodegradable and compatible with active/bioactive molecules. In this paper are presented the preliminary results regarding obtaining of active antibacterial package that consists in a paper substrate coated with functional elements complex formulas. The main feature of this concept is given by their interactive properties which manifests in contact with the hazardous microorganisms and bacteria, without migration of other components in the surrounding or in the packaged product.