past, current and potential utilisation of active and intelligent packaging systems for meat and
TRANSCRIPT
Past, current and potential utilisation of active and intelligent packaging
systems for meat and muscle-based products: a review
Joe P. Kerry
Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences,National University of Ireland,
Cork, Ireland
52nd ICoMST, Dublin, Ireland
Meat Packaging
“The efficient containment, preservation and protection of a meat product and all necessary information required during packing, transport, storage, sale and use, along with the
provision of convenience, taking into consideration all legal and environmental issues”
Importance of Meat Packaging at Retail Level
Customer choice of a muscle-based product is dependent upon many factorsAppearance most important
Important meat/pack quality attributesMeat ColourShelf-life StabilityDrip/Moisture LossSensory AttributesOdour Gain/LossPack IntegrityPack AppearanceLabelling (dates, additives, product support information)Convenience
Packaging functions (First level packaging)
Technical Function Prevents/Allows: Free movement of gases Entry or exit of moistureProduct illumination Prevent contamination
Sales Function Provides:InformationConvenience
Commercial Meat Packaging Formats
Boxed
Overwrap
VacuumCommon processHeat-shrinkThermoforming vacuum processSkin vacuum packaging
Modified Atmospheres (MAP)Retail and bulk gas flushing
Problems Associated with Meat Packaging(First level packaging)
Exposure to oxygen:Systems generally not hermeticMeat products exposed to varying levels of oxygen
Moisture loss:Fresh muscle foods lose moisture in the form of drip-lossDrip-loss in packs can reduce product shelf-life
Compartmentalised odour/flavour: Development occurs principally through the production of volatile gaseous compounds via product-package-gas interactions
Introduction to Active PackagingIntroduction to Active Packaging(Second level packaging)(Second level packaging)
Active packaging:
Incorporation of certain additives into packaging systems with the aim of maintaining or extending product quality and shelf-life
or
Active when it performs some desired role in food preservation other than providing an inert barrier to external conditions (Hutton, 2003)
or
Active when the packaging elements change the condition of the packed food to extend shelf-life or improve safety or sensory properties, while maintaining quality of packaged food (Ahvenainen, 2003)
Active packaging applications:
Absorbing/scavenging oxygen, carbon dioxide, moisture, ethylene, flavours, taints, UV light
Releasing/emitting ethanol, carbon dioxide, antioxidants,preservatives, sulphur dioxide, flavours, pesticides
Removing catalysing food component removal: lactose, cholesterol
Temperature control insulating materials, self-heating and self-cooling packaging,microwave susceptors and modifiers, temperature-sensitive packaging
Microbial control UV and surface-treated packaging materials
Moisture Control
Dri-Loc® Absorbent pads, CRYOVAC®, Sealed Air Corporation
- Moisture absorbent pads and trays with applications for meat and poultry- Lowering of water activity to suppress microbial growth- Systems consist of super-absorbent polymers located between two other plastic layers
Commercial Examples:
Fresh-R-Pax™ Absorbent pads, Fresh-R-Pax™ Absorbent trays, Maxwell Chase Technologies, LLC.
• Pads perforated with tiny one-way valves • Juices absorbed from the bottom • Prevents meat from drying
Moisture Control
Advantages:
Enhanced product appearance and freshness
– shelf life extension
Removes and retains spoilage bacteria
Reduces costly rewraps and product downgrades
Reduces product and packaging waste
Pads protect product display cases
– enhanced visual appeal to customers
Oxygen Scavengers
Elevated O2 levels in food packages may facilitate:
Microbial growth
Off-odour and off-flavour development
Colour changes
Nutritional losses
A significant reduction in product shelf-life
Existing technology based on: iron powder oxidation, ascorbic acid oxidation, photosensitive dye oxidation, enzymatic oxidation (e.g. glucose oxidase), unsaturated fatty acids, rice extract or immobilised yeast on a solid substrate
Traditional MAP or vacuum packaging may not facilitate complete removal of O2=> Residual O2 may be removed using oxygen scavenging technology
Majority of commerically available O2 scavengers based on the principle of iron oxidation:
Fe → Fe2+ + 2e-
½ O2 + H2O + 2e- → 2OH-
Fe2+ + 2OH- → Fe(OH)2
Fe(OH)2 + ¼ O2 + ½ H2O → Fe(OH)3
Available as labels, sachets, cards or films (incorporation of scavenging agent into the packaging film)
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co.
Ageless® Sachet
Ageless® Label
Effective with a variety of packaging materials
Reduce and maintains O2 to < 0.01%
De-oxygenation time ~ 1 to 4 days
Oxygen Scavengers
Emco Packaging Systems.
Atco® Sachet
Atco® Labels
Multisorb Technologies Inc. FreshPax® Sachets FreshPax® Labels
Advantages:- Significantly reduces oxygen levels in packs - Reduces oxidation reactions (pigments, lipids)- Reduces aerobic microbial growth
Disadvantages:- Concerns regarding anaerobic pathogens- Activation - moisture dependent- Sachet leakage/consumption
Applications in sliced cooked meats (e.g. hams)
Prevent discoloration in fresh beef (Allen et al., 1996; Tewari et al., 2001)
Oxygen Scavengers
Oxygen Scavengers
Reduce headspace O2 from 1% to ppm levels in 4-10 days ~ comparable with O2scavenging sachets
Applications:Dried or smoked meat products, processed and sliced meats
UV light activated films composed of an O2 scavenger layer extruded into a multilayer film
Commercial examples:Cryovac® OS2000™ polymer based oxygen scavenging filmZERO2TM developed by CSIRO and VisyPak Food Packaging
Carbon Dioxide Emitters and Scavengers
CO2 emitting sachets or labels can also be used alone
Further research required - safety risks of CO2 in packaging systemse.g. C. botulinum type B
Removal of O2 or dissolution of CO2 in the product creates a partial vacuum which may cause collapse of flexible packaging
⇒ Dual action CO2 generators / O2 scavengers
Function of CO2 to inhibit microbial growth and extend product shelf-life
Commercial examples:
Ageless® GMitsubishi Gas Chemical Co.
FreshPax® MMultisorb Technologies Inc.
Based on either ferrous carbonate or a mixture of ascorbic acid and sodium bicarbonate
Verifrais™ package (SARL Codimer) extends shelf-life of fresh red meatsStandard tray with a false, perforated bottom containing sachet of sodium bicarbonate/ascorbateJuice dripping from the meat onto the sachet results in CO2 emission
⇒ Replacement of CO2 absorbed by the meat⇒ Prevention of package collapse
CO2 absorbers (sachets) consisting of either calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, calcium oxide and silica gel
⇒ Removal of CO2 during storage to prevent bursting of package⇒ Applications in dehydrated poultry products and beef jerkey
Carbon Dioxide Emitters and Scavengers
Antimicrobial Packaging
Antimicrobial agents: acid anhydride, alcohol, bacteriocins, chelators, enzymes, organic acids and polysaccharides
Antimicrobial agents - may be coated, incorporated, immobilised or surface-modified onto package materials
Antimicrobial films classified into two types:
⇒ films containing an antimicrobial agent which migrates to the food surface
⇒ films effective without migration
Antimicrobial coatings
Incorporation of antimicrobial agents
Nisin coated films – reduction of S. typhimurium on surface of fresh broiler skin and drumsticks (Natrajan and Sheldon, 2000)Alginate coatings containing organic acids reduced levels of L. monocytogenes, S.typhimurium and E. coli 0157:H7 on beef carcasses (Siragusa and Dickson, 1993)
Films containing acetic or propionic acid in a chitosan matrix with/without lauricacid or cinnamaldehyde applied to bologna, cooked ham or pastrami (Ouattara et al., 2000)Grapefruit seed extract incorporated into multilayer polyethylene films reduced aerobic and coliform bacteria in minced beef (Ha et al., 2001)
Antimicrobial Packaging
Immobilisation
Pack inserts
Nisin-adsorbed bioactive inserts reduced L. innocua and S. aureus in hams (Scannell et al., 2000)
Sachets of oregano essential oil in combination with MAP extended the shelf-life of fresh beef (Skandamis and Nychas, 2002)
AgION™ (concentrate)AgION Technologies LLC
Nisaplin® (extract)Integrated Ingredients
Microgard™ (film)Rhone-Poulenc
Commercial examples:
Few commercial successes – Ag-substituted zeolite incorporated into plastics in Japan
Antimicrobial Packaging
Zeomic™ (powder)Sinanen Zeomic
Introduction to Intelligent Packaging (Second Level Packaging)
Packaging systems which monitor the condition of packaged foods to give information about the quality of the packaged food during transport and storage (Ahvenainen, 2003)
Intelligent packaging in some way senses properties of the food it encloses or the environment in which it is kept and which is able to inform the manufacturer, retailer and consumer of the state of these properties
Information extensive, though much of it is conceptual
Limited commercial application to date
Tamper evidence/pack integrity - breach of pack containment
Safety/quality indicators- time-temperature indicators (TTIs) - gas sensing devices - microbial growth- pathogen detection
Traceability/anti-theft devices- radio frequency identification (RFID) labels/tags/chips
Product authenticity- holographic images, logos - hidden design print elements- RFID
Intelligent Packaging Applications
IndicatorsSubstances that indicate the presence, absence, or concentration of another substance or the degree of reaction between two or more substances by means of a characteristic change, especially with respect to colour
Visual O2 indicators: use in low O2 packsNumber of patents (redox dyes) – MAP mince steaks, mince pizzas
DisadvantagesHigh sensitivity to residual O2 in MAPReversibility - undesirable where O2 is consumedduring bacterial growth
Few commercial devices availableAgeless-Eye®, Vitalon®, Samso-Checker®
Integrity (leak) indicators
Provide direct product quality information resulting from microbial growth or chemical changes within a meat product
Potential indicator metabolitesOrganic acids, ethanol, biogenic amines, CO2, H2S, microbes
DisadvantagesBased in broad-spectrum colour changesTarget metabolites do not necessarily indicate poor quality
Toxin Alert – ToxinguardTM
Freshness indicator measures Pseudomonas sp.
Antibodies in polyethylene-based packaging- can also detect pathogens
Freshness Indicators
Time-Temperature Indicators (TTIs)
Small tag or label used to show time-temperature history to whicha perishable product has been exposed
Diffusion-based, enzymatic and polymer-based TTIs offer most potential
VITSAB®, Fresh-Check® and 3M Monitor® - effective indicators of meat quality
TTIs: Price estimates from €0.02 to €0.15
CheckPoint® (Vitsab International, Sweden)
‘Do not use if circle is pink’
Radio Frequency Identification Tags (RFID)
Tags affixed to assets (cattle, pallets, meat bins, packs) to transmit information to a reader
Tags - transponder and antenna with unique number or identifier- non-contact, non-line-of-sight, can penetrate bio-matter including meat (~ 125 kHz)
Wireless data collection technology that uses electronic tags for storing data and identification of people, animals or objects.
Tags • passive: simple, cheap, short-range, powered by energy from reader• active: battery powered, more info (temp, RH, nutritional info, cooking instructions etc), longer range
Costs• ~ €0.40 and €0.75 per tag (passive) ; ‘€0.07 in volumes of 106’• to cost ~ €0.01 after 2007?• decrease in cost critical to implementation
Applications to meat• trial stage• tracking of beef from Namibia to UK• birth to beef: RFID/bar code tracking• ‘iBoS’ transport crate for meat products• Wal-Mart, Tesco, Target, Metro AG
RFID on boxes of frozen meat (TrolleyponderTM)
Radio Frequency Identification Tags (RFID)
Sensors
Devices used to detect, locate or quantify energy or matter, giving a signal forthe detection of a physical or chemical property to which the device responds
Most contain two functional units:Receptor - physical or chemical information transformed into a form of energyTransducer - device that transforms this energy into a useful analytical signal
R&D mainly in biomedical and environmental applications
Used to determine a primary measurable or a secondary physical, chemical or biological variable – ‘the marker concept’
High development costs, exacting industry specifications and safety considerations have limited commercial realisation although significant steps have been made
Need for traceability, guaranteed quality and safety is promoting development
Gas Sensors
Recent developments in optical oxygen sensors based on fluorescence quenching
Non-invasive technique for gas analysis through translucent materialsFluorescent or phosphorescent dye encapsulated in a polymer matrix=> O2 penetrates dye-polymer coating and quenches luminescence (energy transferred to O2) => quantified against pre-determined calibration
Ruthenium, palladium(II)-, platinum-porphyrin and porphyrin-ketone complexes show promise for intelligent packaging use Relatively long emission lifetimes (~40-500 μs) best for food packaging applications
Fabrication – dissolution of indicator dye and polymer support in organic solvent followed by drying
Large scale, continuous production possible
Operating criteria for optical O2 sensors in intelligent packaging:
Working range: 0 to 100 kPa O2; detection limits 0.01- 0.1 kPa.
Temperature dependence: Effective from -20 to +70 °C
Response: < 10-3 s, ideal for rapid on-line screening
Stability: Effective time/temperature/light/migration stability
Toxicity: Single pack sensor ~ 1 mg, of which > 95% support matrix: non-hazardous
OxySense® - first commercially available fluorescence quenching sensor
• > 98% correlation with GC• Stable to 150 °C without loss of sensitivity• Rapid (< 5 s per measurement)• Headspace and liquid measurements
Gas Sensors
Oxygen Sensors
Migration of active components of O2 sensors in food packaging applicationsO’Riordan et al. (2005)
Effects of residual oxygen in anaerobic MAP chicken and beefSmiddy et al. (2002a,b,c)
Use of O2 sensors printed directly onto packaged sous vide beef lasagneO’Mahony et al. (2004)
Use of O2 sensors for headspace analysis of commercial ham productsPapkovsky et al. (2002)
Platinum-based O2 sensors as quality control instruments for meat productsFitzgerald et al. (2001)
Current research - new sensing materials and detection systems
Vacuum packed beef with O2 sensing membrane
O2 sensing equipment
Bio-Sensors
Compact analytical devices that detect, record and transmit information pertaining to biological reactions
• Bioreceptor specific to a target analyte (enzymes, antigens, microbes, hormones etc.)
• Transducer to convert biological signals to an electrical response (electrochemical, optical etc.)
Contaminating bacteria render bar-code unreadable
SIRA Technologies Inc. Food Sentinel SystemTM
Few commercially available systems but more widespread use predicted
Active and Intelligent Packaging – The Future
These packaging technologies anticipated to grow significantly over the next 10 years,due principally to:
- Consumer demands for meat and other food products which are premium quality and whichprovide adequate shelf-life, safety, convenience and information
- Reduction in packaging material costs as formats grow in popularity/sales volume, and as newer and cheaper formats emerge through research and development
- Greater demands by retailing outlets for extended product shelf-life
- Concerns regarding product authenticity and bio-terrorism
- Growing efforts to reduce unnecessary product/package wastes
AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements
My sincerest thanks to:My sincerest thanks to:
Dr Sean Hogan Dr Sean Hogan &&
Dr Michael ODr Michael O’’GradyGrady
for their invaluable assistance and support for their invaluable assistance and support throughout this entire projectthroughout this entire project
Thanks for yourThanks for yourattentionattention