VAPOR-PHASE STUDY OF ANTIMICROBIAL PACKAGING SYSTEMS CONTAINING ESSENTIAL OILS

Abstract

Antimicrobial packaging is an extensively explored area in the view of the preservation of minimally processed foods, but few studies have focused on the type and suitability of an antimicrobial packaging system for food products. Many studies have focused on in-vitro antimicrobial testing, but many lack an extension of the results to actual food products through antimicrobial packaging. Other parameters such as active compound, diffusion rate, antimicrobial mechanism, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) development, and microorganism types can be the reason for the limitations noted in antimicrobial efficacy. Food safety is essential for public health, yet millions of cases of food-borne diseases (FBDs) arise per annum globally. According to estimates, over 76 million cases of illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and up to 5000 deaths in the United States occur due to FBDs each year in industrialized nations. FBDs are caused by ingesting contaminated food altered by a pathogenic entity, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, molds, protozoa, or parasites. Consumers today face a significant risk of illness due to AMR, emerging pathogens, and changes in the virulence of known pathogens. The food industry needs to improve approaches to combat these risks. Fresh produce-related foodborne outbreaks in recent years have highlighted the urgent need for enhanced outbreak prevention and fresh produce's microbiological safety. Food-borne illnesses are a significant public health issue for both industrialized and developing nations, despite the use of chemical preservatives, cold chains, and a greater understanding of microbes. Researchers have recently studied the use of vapor-phase antimicrobial packaging for shelf-life extension of irregularly shaped food products, especially fresh produce. Essential oils and their components are semi-volatile in nature which makes it possible for them to diffuse through the package headspace and act in vapor-phase towards microbial inhibition without being in direct contact with the food. A low concentration of EOs in the vapor phase is more effective than in the liquid phase for antimicrobial applications, therefore, its unpleasant effect on the sensorial quality of food is relatively less. In direct contact, EOs have high antimicrobial effects on food, which negatively alters the smell and taste of food, so vapor phase can be an alternative technique over direct contact use of these EOs.