PET trays coated with Citrus extract exhibit antioxidant activity with cooked turkey meat

Colloidal Solutions as Advanced Coatings for Active Packaging Development: Focus on PLA Systems

Due to rising consumer demand the food packaging industry is turning increasingly to packaging materials that offer active functions. This is achieved by incorporating active compounds into the basic packaging materials. However, it is currently believed that adding active compounds as a coating over the base packaging material is more beneficial than adding them in bulk or in pouches, as this helps to maintain the physicochemical properties of the base material along with higher efficiency at the interface with the food. Colloidal systems have the potential to be used as active coatings, while the application of coatings in the form of colloidal dispersions allows for prolonged and controlled release of the active ingredient and uniform distribution, due to their colloidal/nano size and large surface area ratio. The objective of this review is to analyse some of the different colloidal solutions previously used in the literature as coatings for active food packaging and their advantages. The focus is on natural bio-based substances and packaging materials such as PLA, due to consumer awareness and environmental and regulatory issues. The antiviral concept through the surface is also discussed briefly, as it is an important strategy in the context of the current pandemic crisis and cross-infection prevention.

Disposable Food Packaging and Serving Materials-Trends and Biodegradability

Food is an integral part of everyone’s life. Disposable food serving utensils and tableware are a very convenient solution, especially when the possibility of the use of traditional dishes and cutlery is limited (e.g., takeaway meals). As a result, a whole range of products is available on the market: plates, trays, spoons, forks, knives, cups, straws, and more. Both the form of the product (adapted to the distribution and sales system) as well as its ecological aspect (biodegradability and life cycle) should be of interest to producers and consumers, especially considering the clearly growing trend of “eco-awareness”. This is particularly important in the case of single-use products. The aim of the study was to present the current trends regarding disposable utensils intended for contact with food in the context of their biodegradability. This paper has summarized not only conventional polymers but also their modern alternatives gaining the attention of manufacturers and consumers of single-use products (SUPs).

Integrating Antioxidant Functionality into Polymer Materials: Fundamentals, Strategies, and Applications

While antioxidants are widely known as natural components of healthy food and drinks or as additives to commercial polymer materials to prevent their degradation, recent years have seen increasing interest in enhancing the antioxidant functionality of newly developed polymer materials and coatings. This paper provides a critical overview and comparative analysis of multiple ways of integrating antioxidants within diverse polymer materials, including bulk films, electrospun fibers, and self-assembled coatings. Polyphenolic antioxidant moieties with varied molecular architecture are in the focus of this Review, because of their abundance, nontoxic nature, and potent antioxidant activity. Polymer materials with integrated polyphenolic functionality offer opportunities and challenges that span from the fundamentals to their applications. In addition to the traditional blending of antioxidants with polymer materials, developments in surface grafting and assembly via noncovalent interaction for controlling localization versus migration of antioxidant molecules are discussed. The versatile chemistry of polyphenolic antioxidants offers numerous possibilities for programmed inclusion of these molecules in polymer materials using not only van der Waals interactions or covalent tethering to polymers, but also via their hydrogen-bonding assembly with neutral molecules. An understanding and rational use of interactions of polyphenol moieties with surrounding molecules can enable precise control of concentration and retention versus delivery rate of antioxidants in polymer materials that are critical in food packaging, biomedical, and environmental applications.

Biopreservative efficacy of grape (Vitis vinifera) and clementine mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata) by-product extracts in raw ground beef patties

Beef patties were treated with 450 μg/g of extracts from grape (Vitis vinifera) seeds (GSE), pomace (GPE) or orange (Citrus reticulata) pomace (OPE) and compared to negative (no extract; CTR) and positive (sodium metabisulphite; SMB) controls for their effect on colour, lipid and protein oxidation and bacterial growth under simulated retail display conditions (4 °C) for 9 d, and sensory quality. Antioxidant activity and redness of beef patties increased in the order of CTR < OPE = GPE < GSE < SMB. The order of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and carbonyl values were CTR > GPE = OPE > GSE > SBM, while that of bacterial counts were CTR > GSE = GPE > OPE > SMB. Retail display period had significant effect on all the shelf-life parameters. Overall, intensity of aroma, beef-like aroma and flavour in beef patties were highest in OPE. Results suggested that GSE and OPE could be commercially valorised as natural antioxidants and antibacterials in beef patties, respectively.

Effect of Chitosan–Tomato Plant Extract Edible Coating on the Quality, Shelf Life, and Antioxidant Capacity of Pork during Refrigerated Storage

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of chitosan–tomato plant extract (C-TPE) edible coating (EC) on the physicochemical, microbiological, sensory, and antioxidant capacity changes of pork during storage. Edible coatings prepared with chitosan 1%, acetic acid 1%, glycerol, and TPE (0.1% and 0.3%) were tested. Slices of pork were submerged in different treatments (T1: C 1%; T2: C 1% + TPE 0.1%; T3: C 1% + TPE 0.3%; T4: control) and stored at 4 °C. The different treatments showed the best results in physicochemical and microbiological analyses, with reduced microbial population relative to the control. The highest antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content were shown in T3, and the overall acceptance was better in T2. The results show that the application of C with the addition of natural extracts, such as the tomato plant with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, can be an alternative method for preserving pork.

Measurement of antioxidant activity with the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay

The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay is widely used to measure lipid oxidation and antioxidant activity in food and physiological systems. However, there has been no review (to our knowledge) that focuses exclusively on this test. This review presents an overview of the current use of the TBARS test in food and physiological systems, before looking at the various ways in which the assay is used in studies on antioxidant activity. As an antioxidant assay, the TBARS test may lack acceptable reproducibility, and long reaction times may preclude its adoption as a rapid screening method. Despite these potential limitations, there are features of the TBARS test that make it useful as a complement to popular screening tests such as Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity. This review concludes with proposals for development of the TBARS test so that it can be used as a rapid and robust antioxidant assay.

Active Packaging Coatings

Active food packaging involves the packaging of foods with materials that provide an enhanced functionality, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant or biocatalytic functions. This can be achieved through the incorporation of active compounds into the matrix of the commonly used packaging materials, or by the application of coatings with the corresponding functionality through surface modification. The latter option offers the advantage of preserving the packaging materials’ bulk properties nearly intact. Herein, different coating technologies like embedding for controlled release, immobilization, layer-by-layer deposition, and photografting are explained and their potential application for active food packaging is explored and discussed.

Effect of lemon peel extract on the oxidative stability and storage quality of Tabak-Maz, traditional fried mutton ribs

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of utilization of lemon peel extract as a natural antioxidant source in muscle foods. The products incorporated with lemon peel extract were assessed for various oxidative stability and storage quality parameters.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study was designed to evaluate the effect of lemon peel extract on the oxidative stability and storage quality of Tabak-Maz, a popular traditional meat product. The products were prepared and treated with different concentrations of lemon peel extract (0.5, 1, 1.5 per cent) and were aerobically packaged in low-density polyethylene pouches and assessed for lipid stability and storage quality parameters under refrigerated (4 ± 1°C) conditions.

Findings

– Lemon peel extract showed a significant (p < 0.05) effect on the lipid stability of the products as the treated products exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) lower thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) (mg malonaldehyde/kg) and free fatty acid (FFA) (per cent oleic acid) values for the entire period of storage. A significant (p < 0.05) effect was also observed on the microbiological characteristics of the products, as lemon peel extract treated products showed significantly (p < 0.05) lower values for total plate count, psychrophillic count and yeast and mould count throughout the period of storage. Coliforms were not detected throughout the period of storage. Significantly (p < 0.05) higher scores were observed for various sensory parameters of the treated products.

Originality/value

– Lemon peel extract successfully improved the oxidative stability and storage quality of Tabak-Maz during refrigerated (4 ± 10°C) storage and may be commercially exploited as a natural antioxidant source in muscle foods.

Trends in the use of natural antioxidants in active food packaging: a review

The demand for natural antioxidant active packaging is increasing due to its unquestionable advantages compared with the addition of antioxidants directly to the food. Therefore, the search for antioxidants perceived as natural, namely those that naturally occur in herbs and spices, is a field attracting great interest. In line with this, in the last few years, natural antioxidants such as α-tocopherol, caffeic acid, catechin, quercetin, carvacrol and plant extracts (e.g. rosemary extract) have been incorporated into food packaging. On the other hand, consumers and the food industry are also interested in active biodegradable/compostable packaging and edible films to reduce environmental impact, minimise food loss and minimise contaminants from industrial production and reutilisation by-products. The present review focuses on the natural antioxidants already applied in active food packaging, and it reviews the methods used to determine the oxidation protection effect of antioxidant active films and the methods used to quantify natural antioxidants in food matrices or food simulants. Lastly consumers' demands and industry trends are also addressed.

Dietary citrus pulp improves protein stability in lamb meat stored under aerobic conditions

The antioxidant effects of dried citrus pulp on proteins in lamb meat, when used as a replacement of concentrate in the feed, was studied using meat from 26 male Comisana lambs. The lambs of age 90 days had been grouped randomly to receive one of the three dietary treatments: (1) commercial concentrate with 60% barley (Control, n=8), (2) concentrate with 35% barley and 24% citrus pulp (Cp24, n=9), or (3) concentrate with 23% barley and 35% citrus pulp (Cp35, n=9). Slices from the longissimus thoracis et lomborum muscle were packed aerobically and stored for up to 6days at 4°C in the dark. The citrus pulp groups, Cp24 and Cp35, significantly decreased protein radicals and carbonyls, and preserved more thiols within six days of storage compared to the Control group. The citrus pulp groups significantly slowed down the rate of protein oxidation, indicating that dietary citrus pulp reduced oxidative changes in meat proteins.