Assessment of Packaging Covers with 3% and 5% Nano Silver Based on Titanium Dioxide on the Fungal Growth of Bread

A comparison has been made regarding the effect of conventional polyethylene packaging and nano silver based on titanium dioxide concerned with the fungal growth of bread consumed. This experimental study was conducted in order to increase the shelf life storage of the bread produced.

Twenty-four samples of 6 different types of bread loaf were randomly obtained from 12 bakeries in District 2 of Tehran. The samples were packaged with 3% and 5% nano coatings and also conventional polyethylene coatings as the control group. The bacterial examination of the samples were carried out twice on 1st, third, seventh, fourteenth and twenty eight days according to the national standards of Iran.

This study showed that the film type and storage period were the main factors that significantly influenced the fungal flora of bread (P = 0.000). With the presence of nano coatings fungal flora of bread decreased with an increase in the storage period. However this correlation was not similar in most of the breads examined and also the fungi types, therefore significant differences were observed (P = 0.000).

According to the results of the present study and regarding the growth population with respect to the improvement in the safety, nano-silver particles which are based on titanium dioxide are preferred over the polyethylene packages. Therefore using such packages are highly recommended in bakery industry after the safety assessment of nano-composite.