Natural mineral composition for keeping food fresh and preserved and method for its preparation

Abstract

The application discloses an innovative composition for food preservation. The composition is composed of the following key ingredients: a first mineral with aluminum compounds as the main component, accounting for 5-20 parts by weight; a second mineral with silicate compounds as the main component, accounting for 10-30 parts by weight; and an antibacterial polymer for food packaging, accounting for 0.5-5 parts by weight. This unique formula composition has a simple preparation process, and the component ratio is easy to accurately control. It not only performs outstandingly in water activity control, but also has strong antibacterial function, which can effectively prolong the shelf life of food and maximize the freshness of food. At the same time, the composition has the remarkable advantages of environmental protection and economy, and can be widely applied in the field of food packaging, providing an efficient and practical solution for food preservation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a composition based on natural minerals for the preservation and freshness of food, and more specifically, a composition for functional packaging materials that effectively controls the water activity of food and imparts antimicrobial function through a specific combination of natural minerals and antimicrobial polymers, for use in food packaging composed of aluminum compounds and silicate compounds. Background Technology

[0002] In the food industry, various preservation technologies are used to extend shelf life and maintain product quality. Traditionally, this has primarily involved adding synthetic preservatives or using special packaging materials, but this has led to consumer concerns about food safety and environmental issues. Preservation technologies using natural materials have also been explored, but they are limited in terms of durability and economic feasibility. In particular, existing natural mineral-based compositions have limited water activity control and insufficient antibacterial effects, making them difficult to implement in practice. Furthermore, the complex use of various minerals complicates the manufacturing process and makes quality control difficult.

[0003] Previous documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] (Patent Document 1) Korean Patent No. 10-2005-0056266

[0006] (Patent Document 2) Korean Patent No. 10-2019-0124549

[0007] (Patent Document 3) Korean Patent 10-0582526

[0008] (Patent Document 4) Korean Patent 10-1889276 Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to achieve the following three core objectives: First, we aim to optimize the composition of natural minerals to provide compositions that are easy to manufacture and control, and have excellent preservation effects. Second, we hope to provide functional packaging materials with compositions that can effectively control the moisture activity of food while expressing antibacterial functions. Third, we hope to provide environmentally friendly and economical compositions for food preservation.

[0010] The present invention solves the technical problem by adopting the following technical solution:

[0011] This invention provides a method for preparing a food preservation composition by mixing and pulverizing a mixture, comprising a first mineral group of 5-20 parts by weight, an aluminum-based first mineral group of 10-30 parts by weight, a silicate compound-based second mineral group of 15-35 parts by weight, a carbonate compound-based third mineral group of 5-15 parts by weight, a silica-based fourth mineral group of 3-12 parts by weight having a porous structure, and an antimicrobial polymer for food packaging of 0.5-5 parts by weight.

[0012] At this point, the first mineral group includes alum, the second mineral group consists of barite and subsoil, the third mineral group consists of calcite, spinel and garnet, the fourth mineral group consists of quartzite and quartz, and the fifth mineral group includes dolomite, magnesite, vermiculite, pumice and opal, but the sum of the weights of the minerals in each mineral group is within the weight range of the mineral group.

[0013] At this point, it is characterized by including a step of pulverizing the mixture to prepare a powder with an average particle size of 1-6 μm and a maximum particle size of 8-15 μm.

[0014] At this point, a) each mineral is coarsely ground to 100-200 mesh; b) the coarsely ground minerals are heat-treated at 750-850°C; c) the heat-treated minerals are mixed with antimicrobial polymers for food packaging; d) they are matured at 18-22°C and 45-55% humidity; e) it is characterized by a stage involving the pulverization of the mixture to manufacture the final product.

[0015] At this point, step e) is characterized by being carried out under crushing pressure of 0.7-0.9 MPa and screen rotation speed of 7,000-9,000 rpm.

[0016] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] 1. The optimal combination of natural minerals, primarily composed of aluminum and silicate compounds, effectively controls the water activity of food.

[0018] 2. With the introduction of antimicrobial polymers in food packaging, excellent antimicrobial effects can be achieved simultaneously.

[0019] 3. By simplifying the main components, the manufacturing process is simple and quality control is easy.

[0020] 4. Made primarily with natural ingredients, it is environmentally friendly and has excellent food safety.

[0021] 5. Compared with existing preservation technologies, it has excellent economic feasibility and high industrial utilization rate. Detailed Implementation

[0022] In the following descriptions of the specific structures or functions of the disclosed embodiments, the information is for illustrative purposes only and may be modified and performed in various forms. Therefore, the embodiments are not limited to the particular form of disclosure, and the scope of this specification includes changes, uniformities, or substitutions incorporated into the descriptive concepts.

[0023] Terms such as "first" or "second" can be used to describe various components, but the interpretation of these terms should only be used to distinguish one component from another. For example, the first component can be named the second component, and similarly, the second component can be named the first component.

[0024] When a component is said to be "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected to or connected to another component, but there may be another component between them.

[0025] The terminology used in the embodiments is for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as restrictive. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly implies otherwise. In this specification, the terms "comprising" or "having" should be understood to mean the presence of the functions, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described herein, and should not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other functions or numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments pertain. Terms such as those defined in common dictionaries shall be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the relevant descriptive context and shall not be interpreted in an idealistic or overly formal sense unless expressly defined in this application.

[0027] This invention is intended to be practiced in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but is only intended to ensure that the disclosure of this invention is complete and to provide a complete introduction to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, and this invention should be defined only by the class of the claims.

[0028] In this embodiment of the invention, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, unless otherwise defined, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in common dictionaries should be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the relevant descriptive context and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in the embodiments of the invention.

[0029] In describing this invention, detailed descriptions should be omitted if it is determined that specific descriptions of related known descriptions may unnecessarily obscure the essential points of the invention. When using terms such as "comprising," "owning," and "manufacturing" as used in this specification, additional parts may be added unless "~only" is used. In the case of a singular representation of an element, it includes multiple elements unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0030] When interpreting components, even if not explicitly stated, they will be interpreted as including the error magnitude.

[0031] Each feature in the various embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other in part or in whole, and as those skilled in the art will fully understand, they can be technically linked and driven together, and each embodiment can be performed independently of each other or together in an associated relationship.

[0032] This invention provides a method for preparing a food preservation composition by mixing and pulverizing a mixture, comprising a first mineral group of 5-20 parts by weight, an aluminum-based first mineral group of 10-30 parts by weight, a silicate compound-based second mineral group of 15-35 parts by weight, a carbonate compound-based third mineral group of 5-15 parts by weight, a silica-based fourth mineral group of 3-12 parts by weight having a porous structure, and an antimicrobial polymer for food packaging of 0.5-5 parts by weight.

[0033] The technical significance of each material selected in this invention and the reasons for their selection are explained below:

[0034] Reasons for choosing primary minerals whose main component is aluminum compound

[0035] This invention utilizes aluminum compounds, primarily composed of alum, which exhibit a high affinity for water. In particular, alum's layered structure enables it to effectively capture moisture, demonstrating optimal water activity control within a weight range of 5-20g. This moisture-holding capacity plays a crucial role in effectively controlling free moisture in food and inhibiting microbial growth.

[0036] The reason for choosing the second mineral, which is mainly composed of silicate compounds.

[0037] The silicate compounds selected as the secondary minerals are mainly composed of barite and subsoil, and due to their unique porous structure, they possess excellent water absorption capabilities. When used in the range of 10-30 g / L, the synergistic effect with the primary mineral is maximized, particularly as the micropores formed by the silicate structure promote the physical adsorption of moisture. The silicate compounds also have the additional function of adsorbing aging gases such as ethylene from food.

[0038] Why choose antimicrobial polymers for food packaging?

[0039] The antimicrobial polymer used in this invention, applied in the 0.5-5g weight range, works synergistically with the water-activity control effect of natural minerals to effectively inhibit microbial growth. In particular, the antimicrobial polymer selected in this invention has been verified for food contact compatibility, is harmless to humans, and provides long-lasting antimicrobial effects. Furthermore, this polymer exhibits excellent compatibility with natural minerals, demonstrates superior dispersibility during manufacturing, and improves the physical properties of the final product.

[0040] Reasons for selecting the content range of each ingredient

[0041] In this invention, the content range of each component is established based on the following technical principles: If the weight of the first mineral is less than 5g, the moisture activity control effect is insufficient; if it exceeds 20g, the manufacturing cost increases and the physical properties deteriorate. The adsorption effect of the second mineral is negligible when less than 10g, and the moisture control efficiency decreases when it exceeds 30g. The antibacterial polymer has insufficient antibacterial effect when less than 0.5g, and its economic feasibility decreases when it exceeds 5g, and its dispersibility with natural minerals deteriorates.

[0042] Therefore, each component of this invention has been carefully selected taking into account its unique physicochemical properties and interactions, and the content range of each component has been optimized through various experiments and verifications. The selection and combination of these materials are key factors that make this invention easy to manufacture and affordable, while still exhibiting excellent food preservation effects.

[0043] The key significance of each configuration and step described in the claims of this invention is explained in detail below:

[0044] The key significance of the antimicrobial polymer content range (0.5-5 g / L).

[0045] If the content of the antimicrobial polymer is less than 0.5% by weight, the expression of antimicrobial effect is negligible, and it is difficult to expect substantial improvement in preservation. If it exceeds 0.5% by weight, compatibility with natural minerals decreases, and dispersibility becomes uneven, which will significantly reduce product quality. In particular, it has been demonstrated that optimal antimicrobial effect and dispersibility are achieved simultaneously in the range of 2-3% by weight.

[0046] [Compositional Elements]

[0047] The composition of this invention mainly consists of primary minerals, secondary minerals, and antibacterial polymers. The function and properties of each component are described in detail below.

[0048] Primary minerals (aluminum compounds)

[0049] The first mineral is an aluminum compound based on alum, which has a layered structure and an excellent affinity for water. Specifically, the distance between the alum layers is approximately... This is similar in size to water molecules, enabling it to effectively capture moisture. In this invention, it is used in a range of 5-20 weight increments, and shows optimal moisture control, particularly when it is in a range of 15-18 weight increments.

[0050] Second mineral (silicate compound)

[0051] The second type of mineral is a silicate compound mainly composed of barite and balisite, used in the 10-30 g / kg weight range. These minerals have a three-dimensional network structure and excellent water absorption capacity, maximizing the synergistic effect with the first mineral, especially in the 20-25 g / kg weight range. Furthermore, the silicate structure can also adsorb aging gases such as ethylene, helping to maintain the freshness of food.

[0052] Antibacterial polymers

[0053] The antimicrobial polymers used in this invention are added in the range of 0.5-5 by weight, particularly when it is in the range of 2-3 by weight. These polymers have been proven suitable for food contact and use only FDA-approved raw materials. In particular, it has excellent compatibility with natural minerals and can achieve uniform dispersion.

[0054] [Manufacturing Method]

[0055] The composition of the present invention is prepared by the following steps:

[0056] 1. Coarse grinding stage

[0057] Each mineral should be coarsely ground in the 100-200 mesh range. At this stage, a wet grinding method can be used to minimize dust generation. The grinding time should be 30-60 minutes, and using alumina balls as the grinding media is effective.

[0058] 2. Heat treatment steps

[0059] The roughly ground minerals are then heat-treated at 750-850℃. A temperature of 5℃ is suitable, and the minerals should be held at the target temperature for 60-90 minutes. During this process, the minerals' water of crystallization is removed, and activation is achieved.

[0060] 3. Mixing Steps

[0061] Mix the heat-treated minerals with the antibacterial polymer. Use a high-speed mixer for 15-20 minutes. Do not exceed 40°C during mixing.

[0062] 4. Maturity Stage

[0063] The mixture is aged at 18-22℃ and 45-55% humidity. During this process, a well-ventilated, sealed container is used, and the mixture is stirred every 12 hours to ensure uniform aging.

[0064] 5. Final Fragmentation Stage

[0065] The aged mixture was ground at a grinding pressure of 0.7-0.9 MPa and a sieve speed of 7,000-9,000 rpm. Nitrogen was used to prevent oxidation.

[0066] [Examples and Comparative Examples]

[0067] To demonstrate the effectiveness of the present invention, the following embodiments and comparative examples were constructed. The specific composition and manufacturing conditions of each embodiment and the comparative examples are as follows.

[0068] [Table 1]

[0069] Composition and Comparative Examples of the Embodiments (Unit: Weight)

[0070]

[0071] The manufacturing conditions and results for each embodiment and comparative example are described in detail below:

[0072] Example 1

[0073] This composition was prepared according to the manufacturing method of the present invention using 15 parts by weight of a first mineral, 20 parts by weight of a second mineral, and 2.5 parts by weight of an antibacterial polymer. The manufacturing conditions were heat treatment at 800°C, aging at 20°C, and humidity at 50%. The prepared composition exhibited optimal overall performance, with a water activity control rate of 95% and an antibacterial activity of 99.9%.

[0074] Example 2

[0075] The content of the first mineral was increased to 18% by weight, the content of the second mineral was increased to 25% by weight, and the content of the antimicrobial polymer was increased to 3.0%. In this composition, the water activity control rate was improved to 97%, and the antimicrobial activity was maintained at 99.9%. This indicates that the increase in the primary mineral content has a positive impact on water activity control.

[0076] Example 3

[0077] It consists of 12 parts by weight of a first mineral, 15 parts by weight of a second mineral, and 2.0 parts by weight of an antimicrobial polymer. It was manufactured under conditions of heat treatment at 780°C, aging at 19°C, and humidity at 48%. The moisture activity control rate was 93%, and the antimicrobial activity was 99.5%, indicating that stable performance was maintained despite the low overall component content. In particular, the fact that the antimicrobial polymer content was reduced to 2.0 parts by weight while maintaining high antimicrobial activity demonstrates the excellent economic feasibility of the composition of this invention.

[0078] Example 4

[0079] The first mineral content was reduced to 10 by weight, the second mineral content was increased to 30 by weight, and the antibacterial polymer was used at 1.5 by weight. The manufacturing conditions were heat treatment at 820°C, maturation at 21°C, and 52% humidity. In this composition, the moisture activity control rate was slightly reduced to 91%, but good antibacterial activity was maintained at 98.5%. This indicates that even with an increase in the content of the second mineral, overall performance can deteriorate if the content of the first mineral is below a critical level. In particular, the relatively significant reduction in the moisture activity control effect further demonstrates that the layered structure of the primary minerals is key to moisture control.

[0080] Example 5

[0081] The content of the first mineral is increased to 20 by weight, the content of the second mineral is decreased to 10, and the content of the antimicrobial polymer is increased to 4.0 by weight. It is manufactured at a heat treatment temperature of 790°C, a maturation temperature of 20°C, and a humidity of 49%. In this composition, the moisture activity control rate is slightly reduced to 89%, but the antimicrobial activity is excellent, reaching 99.8%. These results indicate that increasing the content of the antimicrobial polymer to 4.0 by weight does not offset the decrease in moisture activity control due to the reduced content of the second mineral, and the further improvement in antimicrobial activity is negligible. Furthermore, this further demonstrates the technical effectiveness of the optimal content range of each component proposed in this invention.

[0082] Comparison Example 1

[0083] When only the first mineral and 25 weights are used, excluding the second mineral, the water activity control rate is significantly reduced to 65%. This demonstrates that the synergistic effect of the first and second minerals is important for controlling water activity.

[0084] Comparison Example 2

[0085] When only 35% of the weight fraction of the second mineral (excluding the first mineral) was used, the water activity control rate was only 55%. This indicates that the layered structure of the primary mineral is key to water control.

[0086] Comparative Example 3

[0087] Based on existing technology, when it is manufactured from 3 parts by weight of a first mineral, 40 parts by weight of a second mineral, and 0.3 parts by weight of an antibacterial polymer, its overall performance is significantly reduced. In particular, the antibacterial activity is reduced to 85%, which diminishes its practicality.

[0088] Analysis of the embodiments implemented in this invention reveals significant technical implications regarding the interactions between each component and the influence of manufacturing conditions on the performance of the final product. First, it has been shown that the relative content ratio of the first and second minerals has a decisive impact on the performance of the final product. In particular, the moisture activity control is optimal when the first and second minerals are mixed in a ratio of 1:1.3 to 1.5, indicating that the complementary effect of the two minerals is optimized. It has been observed that deviations from this optimal ratio significantly increase or decrease the content of one of them, resulting in a significant reduction in overall performance. This demonstrates that the synergistic effect between the two mineral components is a key technical feature of this invention.

[0089] In the case of antimicrobial polymers, it has been found that the most effective antimicrobial effect is observed when the concentration is in the range of 2.0 to 3.0 (by weight). Of particular note is that the antimicrobial effect decreases sharply when the concentration of the antimicrobial polymer decreases below 1.5 by weight, while the additional performance improvement becomes negligible when increasing to above 4.0 by weight. This indicates that antimicrobial polymers exhibit optimal efficiency at certain critical concentrations, and adding concentrations exceeding these is economically unfeasible.

[0090] Regarding antimicrobial activity, the antimicrobial polymer exhibited the most stable and superior performance in the 2.0 to 3.0 g / L weight range. At weights below 0.5 g / L, the effect was insufficient, and at 4.0 g / L and above, the performance improvement was negligible. These results indicate that the input amount of the antimicrobial polymer is optimal, and any deviation from it reduces cost-effectiveness.

[0091] As a result of comprehensive performance evaluation, the compositions of Examples 1 and 2 were found to be the best. These compositions exhibited excellent performance in terms of water activity control and antibacterial activity, especially compared to the comparative examples. This demonstrates that the optimal range of compositions presented in this invention is not a simple list of experimental figures, but rather derived based on clear technical evidence.

[0092] [Experimental Example]

[0093] The following in vitro experiments were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the compositions of the present invention.

[0094] [Experimental Example 1] Evaluation of the effect of water activity control

[0095] Dynamic vapor adsorption (DVS) was performed to quantitatively evaluate the water activity control capability of the compositions of the present invention. For the experiments, the DVS Advantage device of the surface measurement system was used, and 1 gram of each composition of Examples 1-5 and Comparative Examples 1-3 was precisely taken and prepared as analytical samples.

[0096] As a result of the experiment, the composition of Example 1 showed an excellent control rate of 95%, with an initial water activity of 0.95 that decreased by 0.48 after 24 hours. This was attributed to the synergistic effect of the layered structure of the first mineral and the porous structure of the second mineral, effectively capturing water. In the case of Example 2, a better control rate of 97% was observed, which was attributed to the increased water-holding capacity due to the increased content of the first mineral.

[0097] On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, the water activity after 24 hours was 0.72, with a control rate of only 65%. This means that the ability to retain water was significantly reduced due to the absence of secondary minerals. Particularly noteworthy is that the rate of decrease in water activity was significantly slower than in the examples during the first two hours. These results indicate that the combination of primary and secondary minerals is crucial for the rapid and effective control of water activity.

[0098] Experimental Objective

[0099] Dynamic vapor adsorption (DVS) was performed to quantitatively assess the composition’s ability to control water activity.

[0100] Experimental methods

[0101] 1) Sample preparation: 1g of each of the compositions prepared in Examples 1-5 and Comparative Examples 1-3.

[0102] 2) Measurement conditions:

[0103] Temperature: 25±1℃

[0104] - Relative humidity: 0-95% (incrementing in 10% increments)

[0105] - Balance meets standard: mass change rate less than 0.002% / min

[0106] *1843) Indicator:

[0107] -Water adsorption isotherm

[0108] - Balance moisture content

[0109] - Rate of change in water activity

[0110] Experimental results

[0111] [Table 2]

[0112]

[0113]

[0114] [Experimental Example 2] Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity

[0115] To objectively evaluate the antibacterial effect of the composition of the present invention, an antibacterial activity test was conducted according to JIS Z 2801 standard. The strains used in the test were *Escherichia coli* (ATCC 8739), *Staphylococcus aureus* (ATCC 6538), and *Aspergillus niger* (ATCC 16404), all Gram-positive bacteria. These strains are representative microorganisms that have a significant impact on food spoilage and are suitable for evaluating the antibacterial effect of the composition of the present invention in practical application environments.

[0116] The experimental method involved pre-incubating each strain in nutrient medium for 24 hours, then adjusting the concentration to 1.5-3.0 × 10⁻⁶. 4 The test bacterial solutions were prepared at a concentration of CFU / mL. Each composition was produced in the form of a 5cm × 5cm film, and 0.4 mL of the test bacterial solution was uniformly inoculated onto the surface of the specimen. The inoculated specimens were incubated at 35±1℃ and a relative humidity of 90% or higher for 24 hours. After incubation, the probiotic water was recovered from the test samples, and the bacteria were counted according to the standard agar plate culture method.

[0117] As an experimental result, the composition of Example 1 showed a bacterial reduction rate of up to 99.9% against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Particularly noteworthy is that the bacterial reduction rate exceeded 90% within a 6-hour incubation period. This means that the composition of the present invention exhibits rapid antibacterial activity. It also showed excellent control of fungi at 99.5%, which is significantly better than the 70-80% effectiveness of conventional inorganic antibacterial materials.

[0118] Experimental Objective

[0119] To quantitatively evaluate the antibacterial effect of the composition, antibacterial activity was tested according to the JIS Z 2801 method.

[0120] Experimental methods

[0121] 1) Test strain:

[0122] - Escherichia coli ATCC 8739

[0123] - Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538

[0124] -Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404

[0125] 2) Test conditions:

[0126] -Incubation temperature: 35±1℃

[0127] -Incubation time: 24 hours

[0128] Dosage: 1.5-3.0 × 10 4 CFU / mL

[0129] 3) Evaluation Items:

[0130] - Reduction rate (%)

[0131] -Changes in bioburden count over time

[0132] Experimental results

[0133] Table 3

[0134]

Claims

1. A natural mineral component for maintaining and preserving food, and a method for preparing the same, characterized in that, Aluminum compounds are the main components of the first mineral group (5-20 by weight), the second mineral group is mainly composed of silicate compounds (10-30 by weight), the third mineral group is mainly composed of carbonate compounds (15-35 by weight) and silica (5-15 by weight), the fourth mineral group is mainly composed of minerals (3-12 by weight) with a porous structure, and an antimicrobial polymer for food packaging mixtures, comprising 0.5-5 by weight components, and a method for grinding the mixture to prepare a food preservation composition.

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