Myoglobin Blooming Agent Packaging for Meat Color Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing meat packaging technologies fail to maintain a favorable meat color for an extended period while ensuring shelf life and freshness, leading to consumer acceptance issues and increased storage and transportation costs.
Innovation Solution
A food packaging article comprising a myoglobin blooming agent, such as nitric oxide donating compounds, carbon monoxide donating compounds, nitrogen heterocycles, or sulfur monoxide donating compounds, integrated into a polymeric film with an oxygen barrier layer to promote and maintain a desirable red color in fresh meat products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional packaging uses oxygen-permeable film to bloom meat color quickly, then meat color becomes bright red rapidly, but shelf life is limited to only about three days
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging film is pre-coated with a blooming agent that gradually releases oxygen over time. This preliminary preparation allows the meat to maintain red color for extended periods (7-10 days) without requiring frequent re-packaging or headspace adjustments, resolving the contradiction between fast blooming and long shelf life.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the oxygen permeability parameter of the packaging system by incorporating blooming agents that provide controlled oxygen release. This transforms the packaging from a static oxygen barrier into a dynamic system that maintains optimal oxygen levels for color preservation throughout the extended shelf life period.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If vacuum sealing is used to extend shelf life and maintain freshness, then meat remains nutritious and healthy longer, but meat turns to undesirable purple color that does not bloom to red
Solution Approach 1:
The blooming agent acts as an intermediary substance that facilitates the conversion of purple deoxymyoglobin to red oxymyoglobin. By introducing this intermediate agent into the vacuum packaging system, both long shelf life and desirable red color are achieved simultaneously, eliminating the color defect of traditional vacuum sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging film combines multiple functional components: the base film material for barrier properties, and embedded blooming agents for color maintenance. This composite structure enables the packaging to simultaneously provide oxygen barrier function for shelf life extension and controlled oxygen release for color blooming.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If carbon monoxide is used in modified atmosphere packaging to maintain red color, then shelf life is extended, but the red color appears unnaturally bright and causes permanent pinking of the interior
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameter by using oxygen-releasing blooming agents instead of carbon monoxide. This substitution maintains the red color effect through natural oxymyoglobin formation while avoiding the harmful permanent pinking and unnatural brightness associated with CO treatment.
4Reliability
If oxygen barrier packaging is used to prevent oxygen contact, then meat freshness is maintained, but meat cannot bloom to desirable red color until exposed to air
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging film performs self-service by incorporating blooming agents that automatically provide the necessary oxygen for color blooming. The system serves itself by generating the required oxygen internally through the blooming agent, eliminating the need for external oxygen exposure while maintaining both freshness and red color.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively maintains a desirable red color in fresh meat products for an extended period, enhancing consumer acceptance and reducing storage and transportation costs by minimizing oxygen exposure and using a reduced oxygen atmosphere.
Implementation Method 1
Myoglobin includes an open binding site called heme that can bind certain small molecules, such as molecular oxygen (O2 or 'oxygen'), or water. The presence and type of ligand bound at the myoglobin binding site can alter the color of the myoglobin.
Implementation Method 2
a polymeric film having an oxygen barrier layer to promote and maintain a desirable red color in fresh meat products
Data Source
AI summary
Food packaging articles, food packaging films, and food packaging methods comprising a myoglobin blooming agent that promote or preserve the desirable appearance of food products are provided. The food contact layer of the packaging films comprises a myoglobin blooming agent.