Investigating Types of Antimicrobial Packaging Systems

Passive packaging has an almost neutral mechanism in dealing with external and internal packaging factors such as gas penetration, cellular respiration and gas production, water loss or gain, ethylene production, production of oxidation compounds and possibly microbial contamination of food. While active packaging, by changing the packaging conditions, increases the shelf life of packaged food and improves its safety and sensory characteristics, while maintaining the quality of food. Among the types of active packaging applications, antimicrobial packaging is one of the most common technological applications of active packaging. Antimicrobial packaging is a system that is able to destroy or inhibit the growth of microorganisms and thereby increases the shelf life and safety level of food products. In antimicrobial packaging, the activity of an antimicrobial agent is carried out through the contact of the microorganism with the inner surface of the packaging material or the gradual release of the antimicrobial agent from the packaging material to the food. The controlled release of antimicrobial substances during the shelf life of food improves the safety of food and increases its shelf life. Antimicrobial substances increase the shelf life of food products by slowing down the growth rate and prolonging the lag phase of microorganisms or by inactivating and destroying them. Antimicrobial agents may be of natural or unnatural origin. The origin of natural antimicrobial substances can be plant, animal or microbial. In the design of antimicrobial systems, in addition to the characteristics of antimicrobial substances, the methods of adding antimicrobial substances, their penetration and evaporation, and many other factors such as the resistance of microorganisms, controlled release, release mechanisms, the chemical nature of antimicrobial substances and Foodstuffs, storage and distribution conditions, physical and mechanical properties of antimicrobial packaging materials, organoleptic properties and toxicity of antimicrobial materials should also be taken into consideration.