Antimicrobial packaging

Antimicrobial compounds are often used as preservatives in foods to extend shelf life, and their efficacy has been shown over a long period. However, consumer demand for 'fresh', preservative-free foods has been growing, and there has been growing interest in packaging concepts that reduce or eliminate consumption of preservatives.Enter antibacterial packaging. An effective preservative-release system, for example, would release into the pack contents only the amount required to prevent microbial growth, thus reducing the preservative intake of the consumer. Of course, a sophisticated mechanism would be required to ensure that neither too little nor too much preservative is released into the pack, and this represents a major technological challenge for scientists. Other antibacterial packaging targets surface bacteria, suitable for use in the packaging of bread, cheese and other items where mould growth tends to concentrate on the surface. In such instances, technology suppliers usually seek to immobilise the chosen active agent into the packaging film, and because the agent does not migrate into the pack contents, this represents a less controversial solution that is far less likely to raise concerns over additive levels in food.

Source: Added: 3 November 2006