2. employs technology that
intentionally releases or absorbs compounds from the
food or the headspace of food packaging, which
extends the shelf life of products by stalling the
degradative reactions of lipid oxidation, microbial
growth, and moisture loss and gain better than
traditional food packaging.
• Active Packaging 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.
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4. ACTIVE PACKAGING IN BAKERY
• Bakery products such as bread and cake undergo a series of physical,
chemical and microbiological changes throughout their shelf life.
• Physical and chemical changes in bakery products result in the loss of
freshness and the impairment of texture and taste, whereas microbiological
spoilage causes an undesirable appearance resulting from bacteria, yeast
and mold growths.
• Active packaging (such as antimicrobial packaging, antioxidant packaging,
moisture absorbers, ethanol emitters and carbon dioxide emitters) and
intelligent packaging (such as time-temperature indicators (TTIs), gas
indicators, freshness indicators, radiofrequency identification (RFID), and
others) appeared to be the products of the advances in food packaging
technology in bakery.
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6. Types of active packaging Functions
Antimicrobial packaging Inhibition of microorganism growth
Antioxidant Packaging
Inhibition of unsuitable oxidation and
aerobic microorganism growth
Ethanol emitters Inhibition of microorganism growth
Moisture absorbers Removement of excess water
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Types of Active packaging in Bakery
7. A. ANTIMICROBIAL PACKAGING
It is an innovative packaging that reduces the growth phase and prolongs the lag phase of
microorganisms to ensure the safety and quality of foods and extend their shelf-life. Different
types of antimicrobial packaging are as follows:
1. Direct addition to antimicrobial packaging
• Thermally stable antimicrobials such as triclosan and silver substituted zeolites can be
incorporated by coextrusion, extrusion or injection molding into the packaging materials.
• However, heat-sensitive antimicrobial agents like enzymes (e.g., lysozyme) and volatile
compounds (e.g., Allylisothiocyanate) can be added to packaging materials by solvent
compounding.
• Solvent casting or extrusion technology and Multilayer films technology are used to
incorporate antimicrobial agents into the packaging films.
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8. 2) Surface coating of antimicrobial packaging
• Surface coating refers to coating the packaging material with a film containing antimicrobial agents
which enter the headspace through evaporation or migrate to the food surface through diffusion.
• Various films are commonly combined with essential oils derived from plants, such as cinnamon,
clove, oregano, thyme, and lemon.
• Some of the considerations for using essential oils include their broad-spectrum of antimicrobial
activity, the quality of being natural and non-toxic.
3) Bioactive edible coatings and films
• Use of bioactive edible packaging material comprising of proteins, lipids, polysaccharides or their
combinations, which can serve as the carriers of antimicrobial agents to prevent microbial spoilage.
• In addition to using polysaccharides and proteins as carriers of antimicrobials or plant extracts as
antimicrobials, probiotic lactic acid bacteria can also be incorporated in edible coatings.
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9. 4) Sachet/pad of antimicrobial packaging
• The design of small antimicrobial packaging materials is achieved by adsorbing or embedding the
antimicrobial agents into a sachet/pad inside the package. They mainly play a role by carrying or
producing an antibacterial compound that will be continuously released.
• In bakery products, volatile compounds are extensively incorporated in sachets because they can
penetrate the food matrix when in the gaseous phase and without direct contact between food and
packaging materials.
5) Antimicrobial polymers
• The main mechanism by which these polymers exhibit antimicrobial activity is that the charged amines of
the polymers interact with the negative charges present on the cell membrane of the microorganism,
causing leakage of the intracellular constituents and eventually resulting in the death of the cell.
• Chitosan (CH) is a natural cationic biopolymer that is non-toxic and Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), a
derivative of cellulose which is an anionic polymer, are biocompatible by forming strong ionic cross-
linking bonds.
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10. 6) Stimuli-responsive antimicrobial packaging
• These materials can adapt their physicochemical properties and/or structural conformation in
response to changes in the surrounding environment.
• Stimuli in food or the environment could indicate a potential food safety threats, or the presence of
substances or organisms, such as molds, bacteria and contaminants, that can negatively impact food
quality or safety.
B. ANTIOXIDANT PACKAGING
• Vacuum or Modified Active Packaging (MAP) is commonly employed to limit the presence of oxygen
and reduce lipid oxidation. However, they are not suitable for bakery products, particularly bread.
• Antioxidant packaging is an alternative way to ensure oxygen removal from the headspace or from the
food and provide sustained release of antioxidants. It can be divided into two parts: independent
antioxidant devices and antioxidant packaging materials.
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11. 1) Independent antioxidant devices
Oxygen scavengers/absorbers which are designed to absorb dissolved oxygen or oxygen in the
headspace to extend foods shelf-life, are the only representatives of this type of antioxidant
packaging.
2) Antioxidant packaging materials
Antioxidant packaging materials are developed by incorporating active compounds in the polymer
matrix or on the surface of the polymer film. The most common active compounds are tocopherols,
essential oils, and plant extracts from herbs. These compounds exert their actions by absorbing
oxygen from the headspace or by releasing antioxidant compounds to the food or the headspace
surrounding it.
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12. C. ETHANOL EMITTERS
• Ethanol is well known as a traditional preservative with potent antimicrobial activity. It can be
sprayed directly on the product or packaging and can also be applied inside the package in the
form of ethanol emitters.
• The ethanol emitter is a sachet that releases ethanol vapor into the package headspace to
inhibit the growth of mold.
• An example of ethanol emitter is Ethicap®; a heat-sealed sachet consisting of food-grade
alcohol adsorbed onto silicon dioxide powder. Vanilla and other compounds are used to mask
the flavor of the alcohol.
• This kind of ethanol emitter has some advantages: 1) No need to spray ethanol solution directly
on the product to generate ethanol vapor, 2) In the form of sachets, easy to take out, 3) No
chemical preservatives are required and 4) It is inexpensive.
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13. D. MOISTURE ABSORBERS
• Moisture absorbers are active scavenging packaging that rely mainly on the absorption of water
absorbent substance, such as silica gel, calcium oxide, molecular sieves as well as natural clays.
• These water absorbent substances are commonly enveloped in the sachet/pad and used with
packaging.
• Silica gel is the most widely used desiccant due to its non-toxic and non-corrosive properties.
• Including moisture absorbers in bakery products packages is helpful for their preservation.
• Realini and Marcos (2014) introduced an example of moisture-absorbing flexible microwavable
packaging material. During microwave cooking, this absorbent film can absorb the excess grease
and water released by the packaged food (such as bread), thus making them crispy.
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14. CHALLENGESAND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES
1) Adequate labeling information must be provided.
2) Microbial ecology should also be considered.
3) The commercial application of innovative food packaging may lead to an increase in food price,
which may directly affect the behavior and acceptance of consumers.
4) Although natural extract/essential oils play an important role in food preservation, their intense
aroma and toxicity should be taken to consideration.
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