Page 389 - Natural Antioxidants, Applications in Foods of Animal Origin

368 Natural Antioxidants: Applications in Foods of Animal Origin
VetBooks.ir to incorporate material components in the packaging that release or absorb

substances from or into the packaged food or the surrounding environment
in order to extend the shelf life and maintain or improve the condition of
packaged food. In contrast to traditional packaging, active, and intelligent
packaging may change the composition and organoleptic characteristics of
food, provided that the changes are consistent with the provisions for food.
Active packaging is receiving considerable attention as an emerging
technology that can be used to improve the quality and stability of food,
reducing the direct addition of chemicals, and the need for changes in formu-
lation. The technology provides several advantages compared to direct addi-
tion, such as lower amounts of active substances required, localization of
the activity to the surface, the migration from film to the food matrix (which
could be used to provide antioxidant effects for longer protection), and elim-
ination of additional steps within a standard process intended to introduce
the antioxidant at the industrial processing level such as mixing, immersion,
or spraying (Bolumar et al., 2011).
Active packaging is defined as a package system that deliberately incor-
porates components that release or absorb substances into or from the pack-
aged food or the environment surrounding the food to extend the shelf life
or to maintain or improve the condition of the packaged food (Regulation
(CE) No. 450/2009 (29/05/2009)). Therefore, active packaging does some-
thing more than simply providing a barrier to external detrimental factors, as
the packaging system plays an active role in food preservation and quality
during the marketing process (Lopez Rubio et al., 2004; Pereira de Abreu et
al., 2012). When designing an active package, issues that are of importance
when designing traditional food packages, such as barrier properties to gases
and moisture and the mechanical strength required for pack integrity, must
still be taken into account. So, the following aspects, which are specific to
the antimicrobial and antioxidant function of the packages, must principally
be considered (Coma & Kerry, 2012):

9 The chemical nature of the bioactive agents and their inhibition
mechanism
9 Physico-chemical characteristics of foods and the organoleptic prop-
erty of the bioactive agents
9 Packaging manufacturing processes and their influence on the effi-
ciency of bioactive additives
9 Storage environments
9 Migration mechanisms of bioactive agents into foods if needed, and
toxicity and regulatory issues