® by Katie Clay Sabatini, RD, LDN Express Advanced Food Not a Galaxy Away…Right in Packaging Your Refrigerator FOOD PROTECTION CONNECTION 1 HOUR CE CBDM Approved SAN Imagine standing in the aisle of your local grocery functional and innovative, the passive protective barrier store and the packaging of your favorite breakfast functions that packaging was originally designed for are no cereal begins talking to you, telling you about the longer the only goals. Consumers want increased product health benefits of the product and marketing its safety, information, traceability, and innovation. Active packaging freshness, and quality. Does this sound like an episode (AP) and intelligent packaging (IP) can provide this and of the Jetsons to you? Believe it or not, technology like more. AP and IP are the wave of the future—the wave of this may not be a galaxy away—in fact you probably now! already purchase products with advanced packaging and you may not even know it! TRADITIONAL FOOD PACKAGING Traditional food packaging was designed to provide the The food packaging industry is one of the most four primary functions of protection, communication, dynamic, competitive, and developing markets within convenience, and containment. the economy today. With a desire to become more Continued on page 2 NUTRITION & FOODSERVICE EDGE EXPRESS | April 2019 1 [email protected] Continued from page 1 Katie Clay Sabatini, 1) Packaging protects item inside. An example TYPES AND RD, LDN is the Food the food product inside of combination packaging APPLICATIONS Safety and Quality from environmental would be high density OF COMMERCIAL Assurance Manager for Hershey contamination and polyethylene (a common AC T I V E Entertainment and influences. type of plastic used in food PACKAGING (AP) Resorts, where she 2) Packaging packaging materials) liners communicates Oxygen Scavengers puts into practice ingredients, nutritional in cardboard cereal boxes. her passion for food Oxygen results in the facts, and marketing— Food packaging has safety. Sabatini has deterioration of the comprehensive which are all displayed on historically been designed packaged end product knowledge of the exterior. to be as inert as possible, through oxidation, rancidity, industry food 3) Packaging provides minimizing the interaction safety application, and microbial growth—to convenience for the consumer of food product with its implementation, name a few. Therefore, such as dispensing and protective outer barrier. and management. a method to reduce or She received her resealing features, ease of However, AP is unique in eliminate oxygen within BS in nutrition handling, product visibility, that it utilizes the reaction the packaging atmosphere & dietetics from and uniqueness as well of said food product with the University of is very desirable and can as extra features, like the its packaging material or Delaware, and is be accomplished with ability to cook and eat the the environment to create actively completing oxygen scavengers that product within its specific a beneficial effect for the her MS in food either expunge or absorb safety at Michigan packaging. product and end user. AP oxygen. The most common State University. allows the food inside and 4) Packaging offers cost- oxygen scavenger works the environment outside effective containment through the oxidation of to play off of each other during transportation and iron compounds placed (in a controlled fashion) storage that maintains in sachets within the to dynamically preserve or food safety and minimizes package that absorb oxygen. protect the food inside. AP environmental impact, Additionally, certain iron systems are innovations in while complying with compounds are being the food industry and work industry requirements embedded in plastic through the processes of and meeting consumer polymers to perform the absorption or release of demands. same function, but reduce various gases, moisture, or the need for a foreign object Traditional packaging other substances into the (sachet) to be placed inside materials include glass, packaged environment. the package. Some of the metals, paper/paperboards, The goal of AP is to have products on the market and plastics, each being absolutely no effect on or using oxygen scavengers are used for different reasons transfer to the food item. baked goods, pizza, pasta, with unique specifications Rather, the desired outcome cured meats, cheeses, fish, regarding the packaging of this process is improved coffee, snack foods, dried material and the product conditions inside the foods, oils and fats, and inside. Over time, packaged environment to beverages. manufacturers have prolong shelf life, improve combined these materials to microbiological safety, Continued on page 3 provide the best functional, positively affect sensory aesthetic, and/or consumer- properties, and maintain driven attributes and food quality. properties for the food 2 NUTRITION & FOODSERVICE EDGE EXPRESS | April 2019 Continued from page 2 Carbon Dioxide Emitters Carbon dioxide (CO2) has innate antimicrobial properties. CO2 emitters actively produce and release this gas within the package to inhibit spoilage and control harmful microorganisms, preserving food quality. CO2 emitters are often found in products like coffee, snack foods, nuts, bakery items, dried and fresh meats, and fish. Additionally, bifunctional AP systems are often used which include oxygen scavengers working in tandem with CO2 emitters, whereby as oxygen is absorbed, it is replaced by CO2, optimizing the atmospheric conditions within the package. Ethylene Scavengers Ethylene is a phytohormone which accelerates produce ripening and results in spoilage of the packaged product if not properly controlled. Ethylene scavengers are used that are often used in foods with lower water activity like to control the ripening process in packaged fruits and snack foods, cereals, nuts, and spices. vegetables by absorbing ethylene from the packaged environment, preventing deterioration and increasing shelf Antimicrobial Emitters life. The most common ethylene scavenger is potassium Antimicrobial (also called antibacterial) packaging is permanganate embedded in silica gel sachets. Another based on the ability to slow or inhibit microbial growth option on the market is the addition of ethylene absorbers on the food item to extend shelf life and prevent to zeolite clay, which is then embedded into food-grade dangerous spoilage. Antimicrobial emitters can be found films used in packaging materials for fruits and vegetables. as sachets (the most common form on the market) or Odor Emitters and Absorbers mats; embedded in packaging polymers or bonded to the polymers during embossing; or in packaging films. Also known as “Artificial Nose,” odor emitters produce This technology is not as widely accepted or utilized as scent within packaging that enhances palatability to the aforementioned methods, due to strict regulations consumers like a ripe fruit scent, while odor absorbers surrounding the use of antimicrobial substances for human cover unpleasant off-odors produced by certain packaged consumption, as well as relatively low consumer acceptance items (also referred to as odor stabilizers). Odor emitters due to the high cost of this packaging technology. One of and absorbers are most often incorporated into plastic the more common commercially available antimicrobial packaging through additives embedded into the polymers. packaging options that you may already be familiar with Moisture Scavengers is Microban®, which uses silver in zeolite clay to control Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria growth. Humidity management within food packaging is essential Microban® is used in a lot more than just food packaging to a high quality end product. Moisture scavengers reduce materials, including some cutting boards, manufacturing water activity, thereby inhibiting spoilage microorganisms equipment and food grade sanitizing options, as well as from negatively effecting the food inside. There are two many other applications across the food industry. types of moisture scavengers. Liquid absorbers usually come in the form of pads or sheets that have a hygroscopic AN OVERVIEW OF INTELLIGENT layer that absorbs and holds moisture and are often used PACKAGING (IP) in high water activity items like meat, poultry, fish, and IP actually monitors the food and/or environment inside produce. Relative humidity regulators, commonly referred to the package and communicates information regarding as desiccants, absorb moisture and control humidity in the headspace of the package in the form of sachets or labels Continued on page 4 NUTRITION & FOODSERVICE EDGE EXPRESS | April 2019 3 SEE PAGE 5 FOR CE QUESTIONS Data Carriers The most common and simplest type of data carrier is a bar code, which has been used on packaging for decades. Barcodes are still used for identification, but have progressed to QR codes and the more advanced radio frequency identification (RFID). RFID tags have a microchip attached to an antenna and communicate through electromagnetic waves. RFIDs can be passive (no battery, powered by electromagnetic waves emitted by the reader); semi-passive (use a battery to emit electromagnetic waves or store information); or active (powered by an internal battery to run internal data management and broadcast it to a reader). Originally designed as tracking devices used for identification, traceability, counterfeit protection, and warehouse automatization, RFIDs have advanced Continued