Introduction to active food packaging technologies

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on active food packaging, which performs some desired function other than merely providing a barrier to the external environment. Active packaging is normally designed to address one property or requirement of the food or beverage. The property normally chosen is that which is most critical as the first limiter of quality or shelf life. To this extent, active packaging is provided to fine-tune the properties of the packaging to meet the requirements of the food. This is not different from the normal aim of the packaging technologist to match the requirements of the food with the properties of the packaging. The choice of the form to be taken by the active packaging is made based on three broad considerations. The most important requirement is of the food, followed by the packaging format, and the requirements of the active agent. The demands of the food can be visualized by considering the potential application of gas exchange in a retail pack of ground beef removal of oxygen, or addition of carbon dioxide may be the chosen method of reducing spoilage by aerobic microorganisms.