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S. MIN, Dept. of Food Science & Technology, Univ. of California, Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616-8598 and Q. H. Zhang, Dept. of Food Science & Technology, Ohio State Univ., 2015 Fyffe Ct., 110 Parker Food Science Bldg., Columbus, OH 43210-1007. Nonthermal food preservation methods, such as pulsed electric fields (PEF), high pressure processing (HPP),and irradiation process foods at temperatures below those used for thermal pasteurization. These systems inactivate both spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in foods without significant loss of flavor, color, taste, nutrients, and functionality of the foods. Success in extending shelf life of those nonthermally processed foods depends on packaging. Proper packaging materials and methods need to be selected to preserve the initial high quality of nonthermally processed foods. Plastic packaging materials have been widely used for food packaging and the selection of plastic packaging materials depend on packaging requirements of mechanical, thermal, barrier, optical properties, length of target shelf life, and cost. Current research of food packaging involves the development of active packaging. The active packaging contributes to the preservation of foods, providing antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Such packaging interacts directly with foods and the environment to extend shelf life and improve food quality. This presentation will briefly overview nonthermal food preservation methods of PEF, HPP, and irradiation, a summary of packaging materials that have been used for the nonthermal food preservation methods, and a direction for future research of food packaging for nonthermal food processing.
Session 57, Active packaging for non-thermal processing
2005 IFT Annual Meeting, July 15-20 - New Orleans, Louisiana |