Antimicrobial food package

a technology of food package and antimicrobial agent, which is applied in the field of antimicrobial package, can solve the problems of reducing the quality of food, limiting the shelf life of food, and increasing the risk of food-borne illness to the consumer, and achieves the effect of prolonging the shelf life of packaged cometible items

Inactive Publication Date: 2015-06-25
UNIV COLLEGE CORK NAT UNIV OF IRELAND CORK
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0002]Microbial contamination of food reduces the quality of food, limits the shelf-life of the food, and increases the risk of food-borne illness to the consumer. Contamination occurs primarily on the surface of foods, especially foods such as cheeses and meats. For the food industry, prevention of food spoilage is an important variable when determining profit. Moreover, prevention of food spoilage can prolong the shelf-life of products and thus extend market boundaries, resulting in increased profit. The growth of microorganisms on food products largely occurs post processing during storage, therefore the packaging of the food is extremely important to the quality and shelf life of the food.
[0012]A packaging material according to the invention, overcomes a number of problems of the prior art. First, as the process for making the product does not involve an initial step of forming nanoparticles, the toxicological risks associated with the methods of EP1932429, DE102007044286, and EP19721297 are obviated. Second, the provision of an ordered nanoarray of nanostructures, for example nanostructures of silver oxide, significantly reduces the amount of silver required to achieve an antimicrobial effect (<0.001 wt %) compared to convention technology where silver-containing nanoparticles are incorporated into the packaging material at 1-5wt %. Further, due to their process of manufacture, the nanostructures are rigidly anchored to the surface on which they are formed, thereby allaying concerns that the nanostructures will be ingested by consumers.

Problems solved by technology

Microbial contamination of food reduces the quality of food, limits the shelf-life of the food, and increases the risk of food-borne illness to the consumer.
Moreover, prevention of food spoilage can prolong the shelf-life of products and thus extend market boundaries, resulting in increased profit.
Use in food packaging, where silver-containing nanoparticles are incorporated into the matrix of polymeric packaging materials, has not gained acceptance due to perceived health risks associated with the silver nanoparticles, and also due to the large amounts of metal required to achieve an antibacterial effect (1-5wt %).
The step of pre-forming, and subsequent handling, of nanoparticles involves significant toxicological challenge.

Method used

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Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

[0043]A polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) diblock copolymer was purchased from Polymer Source and used without further purification (number-average molecular weight, Mn, PS=42 kg mol−1, Mn, PEO=11.5 kg mol−1, Mgw / Mn=1.07, Mw: weight-average molecular weight). Microscopic glass substrates were cleaned by ultrasonication in ethanol and toluene for 30 min each and dried under a nitrogen stream. PS-b-PEO was dissolved in toluene to yield 0.9 wt % polymer solution at room temperature and this solution was aged for 12 hours.

[0044]The PS-b-PEO thin film was fabricated by spin coating the polymer solution at 3000 rpm for 30 sec on Si wafer. The film was exposed to toluene / water (50:50, v / v) mixed vapour placed at the bottom of a closed vessel kept at 50° C. for 1 h to induce mobility and allow microphase separation to occur. Separate reservoirs were used for each solvent to avoid azeotropic effects. The resultant phase separated film was immersed in ethanol at 40° C. for 15 h. F...

example 2

[0045]A polystyrene-b-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) diblock copolymer was purchased from Polymer Source and used without further purification (number-average molecular weight, Mn, PS=24 kg mol−1, Mn, PEO=9.5 kg mol−1, Mw / Mn=1.06, Mw: weight-average molecular weight). A polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) 400 micron thick film was cleaned by immersion in ethanol and ultrasonicated in the same solvent for 10 min. The film then dried under a nitrogen stream. PS-b-P4VP was dissolved in toluene to yield 0.5 wt % polymer solution at room temperature and was ultrasonicated for 10 min to ensure dispersion of the polymer. The PS-b-P4VP thin film was fabricated by spin coating the polymer solution at 3000 rpm for 30 sec on Si wafer. The film was exposed to toluene vapour placed at the bottom of a closed vessel kept at 50° C. for 2 h to induce chain mobility and allow microphase separation to occur. The film was immediately removed and placed in a similar arrangement so that the film was exposed...

example 3

[0046]The same PS-b-P4VP diblock copolymer described in example 2 was used here. A sheet (30 cm×30 cm) of aluminized polyvinylchloride food was cleaned by exposing to a UV / ozone mixture for 10 min. PS-b-P4VP was dissolved in toluene to yield 0.25 wt % polymer solution at room temperature and was ultrasonicated for 10 min to ensure dispersion of the polymer.

[0047]The PS-b-P4VP thin film was fabricated by dip coating the sheets into the polymer solution and removing when a knife edge was drawn across the film to remove excess solution. The sheet was exposed to toluene vapour by placing the sheet on a self-supporting gauze support 1 cm above the bottom of a tray containing toluene. The tray was covered and sealed with a steel lid. All solvent treatments were a room temperature for a period of 2 h. The sheet was removed and placed in a similar arrangement so that the film was exposed to ethanol vapour for 20 min. The sample was removed and placed into ethanol containing 0.25 weight perc...

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PUM

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Abstract

A package comprising packaging material defining an enclosed space suitable for containing an item susceptible to microbial growth or spoilage is described. An interior of the package comprises at least one antimicrobial surface bearing an ordered nanoarray of metal or metal oxide nanostructures. A packaging material in the form of a sheet or film having a first face and a second face, in which at least a portion of one of the first or second faces of the film comprises a surface bearing a nanoarray of metal or metal oxide nanostructures, is also described.

Description

INTRODUCTION[0001]The invention relates to an antimicrobial package suitable for containing an item susceptible to microbial growth or spoilage. In particular, the invention relates to an antimicrobial package for comestible products such as food and drink products.[0002]Microbial contamination of food reduces the quality of food, limits the shelf-life of the food, and increases the risk of food-borne illness to the consumer. Contamination occurs primarily on the surface of foods, especially foods such as cheeses and meats. For the food industry, prevention of food spoilage is an important variable when determining profit. Moreover, prevention of food spoilage can prolong the shelf-life of products and thus extend market boundaries, resulting in increased profit. The growth of microorganisms on food products largely occurs post processing during storage, therefore the packaging of the food is extremely important to the quality and shelf life of the food.[0003]The antimicrobial prope...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): B65D81/28B65B25/00B65D25/14
CPCB65D81/28B65B25/001B65D25/14
Inventor MORRIS, MICHAELKERRY, JOSEPHCRUZ, MALCOCUMMINS, ENDA
Owner UNIV COLLEGE CORK NAT UNIV OF IRELAND CORK
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