100B-8 |
Simultaneous measuring permeability of aroma compound mixtures through polymer packaging films |
Q. ZHOU1, K. R. Cadwallader, and B. D. Guthrie. (1) Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois-Urbana, 206 Ag. Bioprocess Lab, 1302 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 Proper selection of polymer packaging materials has great impact on packaged-food flavor and hence product quality. However, systems currently available for measuring flavor barrier properties of polymer films lack high sensitivity and are incapable of simultaneous measuring permeability of aroma compound mixtures. The objective of the present study was to develop an aroma-permeability measurement system to meet these requirements. A system was constructed by combining dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) with purge-and-trap/fast gas chromatography (P&T-fGC) techniques. Its applicability was examined by measuring the permeability of limonene and ethyl butyrate as single permeant alone or as co-permeants under different environmental conditions (at 25°C, 30°C or 35°C and 0% or 75% RH) through three different films (film A: HDPE/EVOH/HDPE/HDPE; film B: HDPE/nylon/HDPE/HDPE; film C: HDPE/HDPE). Results demonstrated the applicability of this system for simultaneous measuring permeability of aroma compound mixtures. Results also showed that with respect to the two permeants evaluated, the barrier properties of films A and B were comparable and were superior to those of film C by one to two orders of magnitude. The barrier performance of film A to ethyl butyrate was affected by the environmental temperature and moisture content. Permeability of ethyl butyrate in both films A and C was affected by the presence of limonene, while permeability of limonene was affected to a lesser extent by the presence of ethyl butyrate. Information from this study may be useful for the development of a more sophisticated system allowing simultaneous measurement of permeability of complex aroma compound mixtures, which is especially valuable to the food industry where a rapid screening method is needed for selection of proper packaging materials.
Session 100B, Food Packaging
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