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Increasing environmental and legislative demands have accelerated the development of new packaging materials and processes toward more sustainable alternatives. Furthermore, barrier properties of the packaging have become increasingly important, as food waste creates environmental problems. Nowadays, multilayer structures are typically used to create required barrier properties to the packages. The aim of the study was to combine dispersion and extrusion coating into consecutive tandem process to produce two-layer structure with enhanced barrier properties. By combining two processing steps into one, time and resources are saved. The study presents demonstration of the tandem coating in pilot-scale. The process was tested with several different materials and combinations and the processing conditions were optimized to produce optimal layer structure and properties. The properties of samples were analyzed with microscopy imaging, pinhole measurement and barrier measurements including oxygen, water vapor and grease permeation. Single layer of dispersion coatings could not produce continuous film, but the extrusion coatings filled the pinholes and enabled low permeation values. The permeabilities of the tandem coated structures were promising and generally lower than the sum of two individual layers. Moreover, the tandem coated structures produced with sustainable alternatives, performed better than traditional materials in oxygen and grease permeation measurements.

The increasing implication of plantain flour in various food formulations calls for the need to evaluate the effects of ripening stage, packaging materials, and storage duration on its proximal composition and functional properties. For this study, plantain flours were produced from the cultivar Alloga at unripe and semiripe stage 3. They were stored both in transparent polyethylene bags and in an opaque aluminum foil. Physicochemical analyses and functional characterization of the plantain flour were performed on samples taken prior to storage and on monthly basis for 6 months during storage. Ash and carbohydrate contents decreased while the yellowness and redness increased with ripening. Pasting viscosity drastically decreased with ripening. During storage, significant differences in color and among most functional characteristics were observed as a consequence of both storage duration and packaging materials. Based on this research, flour from semiripe plantain could be recommended for use in formulations requiring low viscosity. Besides, it is suggested to store plantain flours in opaque containers to reduce the variability in its properties, thus maintaining its original quality.

In order to improve separating aromatic/aliphatic group in adhesives or solvents of food packaging materials by pervaporation, an across linked graphene oxide (GO) framework were incorporated into waterborne polyurethane (WPU) membrane. The improved benzene solubility and expanded interlayer pathway of modified membrane have been gained based on three different reduced graphene oxide. Compared to P-phenylenediamine (PPD) and ethane-diamine (EDA) reducing agents, O-phenylenediamine (OPD) showed a relatively mild reducing ability and allowed GO to form a layer-to-layer lamella in the WPU matrix easily. When the dose of GO-OPD was 0.03%, the flux of GO-OPD/WPU membrane was 1.58 times of neat WPU or GO/WPU membranes, while the separation factor was slightly improved. The GO-OPD /WPU membrane also maintained good stability in the continuous pervaporation process of 2700 min.

The aim of this research work was the comparative study of the different properties of interest in the case of plastic materials for food use before and after being subjected to treatment by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) as well as the impact of additivation with antimicrobials. This method of food preservation is currently on the rise and is of great interest because it is possible to extend the shelf life of many foods without the need for the use of additives or thermal processing, as is the case with other preservation methods currently used. The effects of HHP treatment (680 MPa for 8 min) on plastic materials commonly used in the food industry were studied. These materials, in sheet or film form, were polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), multilayer polyethylene terephthalate–ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer–polyethylene (PET–EVOH–PE), multilayer polyethylene–polyethylene terephthalate (PE–PET), polyvinyl chloride aluminum (PVC–AL), and polylactic acid (PLA), which were provided by manufacturing companies in the sector. PE, PP, and PLA activated with tyrosol, zinc oxide, or zinc acetate were also tested. The phenomena and properties, such as overall migration, thermal behavior, oxygen barrier, and physical properties were analyzed before and after the process. The results show that the HHP process only slightly affected the properties of the materials. After pressurization, oxygen permeability increased greatly in PVC–AL (from 7.69 to 51.90) and decreased in PLA (from 8.77 to 3.60). The additivation of the materials caused a change in color and an increase in oxygen permeability. The additivated PE and PP showed migration values above the legal limit for certain simulants. The HHP treatment did not greatly affect the mechanical properties of the additivated materials. The main increases in the migration after HHP treatment were observed for PE activated with tyrosol or zinc oxide and for PS activated with zinc oxide. Activated PLA performed the best in the migration studies, irrespective of the HHP treatment. The results suggest that activated PLA could be used in HHP food processing as an inner antimicrobial layer in contact with the food packed in a container with the desired oxygen permeability barrier.

Production of convenient and inexpensive packaging materials is increasing due to the constant growth of consumer demand for safer food products. The paper examines the questions dedicated to the development and introduction of the safety and quality management system in enterprises producing packaging for the meat industry. The authors analyze the elements of safety and quality management for polypropylene packaging in a form of a tray, which is a final element of the united chain in production of whole-piece meat semi-finished products. The investigations were carried out in the operating enterprise in the Moscow region. Hazardous factors in production of polypropylene packaging were identified, risk analysis with assessment of the probability of emergence and realization of hazardous factors was carried out, a Pareto chart was built, unacceptable risks were determined, critical control points (CCP) were revealed, preventive and corrective measures were developed with account for the established critical limits and requirements for CCP monitoring were formulated. All stages of production process were subjected to risk analysis; the severity of consequences from hazardous factor realization and the probability of such realization were assessed by experts for each of these stages. It was established that “injection molding and chilling in a press-mold” is a CCT as there is a risk of increasing the maximum allowable concentrations of chemical substances and compounds (formaldehyde, ethyl acetate, alcohols and others) as a chemical factor with the severity of consequences of 3 and the probability of realization of 3. Using the Pareto chart, causes that had the highest effects on safety and quality of polypropylene packaging were grouped. It was established that nonobservance of preventive maintenance schedule for equipment and, as a consequence, possible equipment failure (80%) influenced to the higher degree the realization of chemical hazardous factor.

Gari (roasted fermented cassava grits) is the most popular product consumed in West Africa and an important food product in the diet of millions of people in developing countries. The study investigated the effect of packaging materials (PM) and storage periods on the functional and pasting properties of Gari produced from white-fleshed cassava roots and sensory attributes of the cooked Gari dough ( eba ). Gari was produced using the standard method and packaged in a polypropylene woven sack (PP) and polyvinyl chloride container (PVC). Gari was stored for 24 weeks at room temperature and sampled at four-week intervals for functional and pasting properties, and sensory evaluation of the eba , using standard methods. The results showed that the storage periods significantly affected all the functional (except swelling power) and pasting properties of the Gari , and PM had no significant (p>0.05) effect on the functional (except bulk density) and pasting properties. Also, the PM had no significant effect on the sensory attributes of the eba except for the mouldability (p

Walnuts are rich in fat and proteins that become oxidized during the processing and storage conditions of their kernels. In this study, the effect of three packaging materials (e.g., polyethylene sealed packaging, polyamide/polyethylene vacuum packaging, and polyethylene terephthalate/aluminum foil/polyethylene vacuum packaging) were investigated on the oxidation, structural and digestive properties of walnut kernel proteins. Results showed that the amino acid content gradually decreased and carbonyl derivatives and dityrosine were formed during storage. The protein molecule structure became disordered as the α-helix decreased and the random coil increased. The endogenous fluorescence intensity decreased and the maximum fluorescence value was blue-shifted. After 15 days of storage, surface hydrophobicity decreased, while SDS-PAGE and HPLC indicated the formation of large protein aggregates, leading to a reduction in solubility. By simulating gastrointestinal digestion, we found that oxidation adversely affected the digestive properties of walnut protein isolate and protein digestibility was best for polyethylene terephthalate/aluminum foil/polyethylene vacuum packaging. The degree of protein oxidation in walnuts increased during storage, which showed that except for fat oxidation, the effect of protein oxidation on quality should be considered. The results of the study provided new ideas and methods for walnut quality control.

There are many biodegradable and recyclable packaging materials available, alternatives for plastics: paper and cardboard; biodegradable polyethene (degradable due to additives incorporated during production, whose role is to lead to the polyethylene breakdown into CO2, H2O, biomass and minerals when in landfill) and biodegradable plastic (made from renewable biomass-biopolymers in a relatively energy-efficient process). The decomposition routes of degradable materials are reflected in the degradation for which realization a physico-chemical stimulus is required and biodegradation for which microorganisms are responsible. The global biodegradable plastic market was valued at $1.6 billion in 2019 and it is expected to reach $4.2 billion by 2027. The largest segment by application of biodegradable materials is in packaging with a market share of more than 60%. Some examples of degradable packaging existing on the market will be presented in the paper.

Over the past 25 years, cannabis plants have gained major popularity in the research community. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant capacity and stabilization efficiency of cannabidiol (CBD) extract in two different polymers: polylactide (PLA) and ethylene–norbornene copolymer (Topas) that are used in packaging materials more often. The research technology included weathering in a special chamber, surface free energy and color change measurements, surface morphology and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, thermogravimetry, and determination of the oxidation induction time or temperature (OIT) values, based on which the effectiveness of the cannabidiol extract could be estimated. Obtained results showed that the addition of CBD to polymer mixtures significantly increased their resistance to oxidation, and it can be used as a natural stabilizer for polymeric products. Moreover, samples with cannabidiol changed their coloration as a result of weathering. Therefore, this natural additive can also be considered as a colorimetric indicator of aging that informs about the changes in polymeric materials during their lifetime. On the other hand, surface properties of samples with cannabidiol content did not alter much compared to pure Topas and PLA.

One of the actual areas of processing the aquatic biological resources is the production of chilled fish semi-finished products, the most prepared for heat treatment. Such products have a very limited shelf life, because fish raw materials have high enzymatic activity. This research work aimed to improve the technology of chilled fish semi-finished products from Japanese mackerel with an extended shelf life. To achieve this goal, Japanese mackerel was injected with multicomponent salting media, containing food additives that slow down microbial contamination, have a bacteriostatic effect and assist in improving the organoleptic characteristics of the finished product. New receptions of salting multicomponent compositions provide faster salting and ripening of raw materials compared to the control sample. Salt concentration in fish, amine nitrogen and peroxide value were determined by titration methods. The total number of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms (КMAFAnM) in fish semi-finished products was determined by identifying the number of grown colonies of microorganisms on nutrient media from agar. The treatment of Japanese mackerel with developed salting media, including moisture-retaining components, organic acids and flavoring additives with anti-bactericidal properties, improves the organoleptic characteristics of the finished product, promotes more salting and maturation of fish, as well as reducing the number of microorganisms (KMAFAnM). The increase in amine nitrogen content ranged from 1.4 g/kg (at the beginning of the salting) to 1.55 g/kg in the control and up to 3.05 g/kg in the test samples by the end of the salting. Salt concentration in Japanese mackerel treated with control salting media amounted to 1.19%, new developed salting media - from 2.84% to 3.17%. The total abundance of microorganisms in Japanese mackerel was 2.0 x 102 CFU/g, after salting it decreased to 0.1 to 3.0 x 101 CFU/g depending on the formulation of media for salting. According to the research results, the rational duration of the salting of Japanese mackerel, with new media for salting was 4 to 5 h at a temperature of 6 °С to 8 °С. Along with the salting media developed by us, the use of modern packaging materials in the technology provided chilled culinary semi – finished products from Japanese mackerel with longer shelf life of up to 20 days at a temperature of 0 °С to 5 °C, and humidity 95% to 98%.

De recyclebaarheid van kunststofverpakkingen op de Nederlandse markt is uitgebreid onderzocht. Om een beeld te krijgen van de kunststofverpakkingen die in 2021 op de Nederlandse markt zijn gebracht, zijn van drie zeer verschillende gemeenten monsters genomen van zowel het PMD als het restafval. Allereerst werden één monster PMD materiaal (plastic, metalen en drankkartons) en drie monsters restafval van drie verschillende gemeenten onderzocht. De aanwezige kunststofverpakkingen werden gesorteerd naar verpakkingstype (bijvoorbeeld PET flacons, PP drankflessen of PE folie). Hieruit werd per gemeente berekend in welke verdeling de verschillende verpakkingstypen op de markt zijn. Dit is vervolgens gemiddeld om een beeld te krijgen voor de situatie in Nederland. De mate van recyclebaarheid van deze verpakkingen werd allereerst ingeschat met een eenvoudige beoordelingssystematiek. Hierbij wordt de mate van recyclebaarheid ingeschat op het niveau van verpakkingstype en wordt er niet gekeken naar ontwerpaspecten van individuele verpakkingen die tot een bepaald verpakkingstype behoren (zoals bijvoorbeeld de grootte van de labels). Omdat er bij WFBR ook vergelijkbare gegevens bestaan uit 2014 en 2017, kon de ontwikkeling tussen de drie jaren worden onderzocht. Hieruit bleek dat het aandeel goed recyclebare verpakkingen nagenoeg constant is gebleven tussen 2014 en 2021. Het aandeel slecht recyclebare verpakkingen is gedaald. Het aandeel in de toekomst recyclebare verpakkingen is gestegen. De belangrijkste trend lijkt de afname van het aandeel zwarte (niet NIR detecteerbare) vormvaste verpakkingen en de gelijktijdige toename van de aandelen PP en PET vormvaste verpakkingen. Dit wijst er op dat het verpakkende bedrijfsleven voortgang heeft gemaakt met dit aspect van design-for-recycling.

Chitosan-based films are promising for consideration as packaging materials. In this study, we modified the chitosan by phenolic acid addition, such as ferulic acid, caffeic acid, tannic acid, and gallic acid. The mechanical and thermal properties were studied, and the water vapor permeability rate was determined. Moreover, the antioxidant activity and film color were considered. The results showed that phenolic acids are effective cross-linkers for chitosan. The addition of phenolic acids improved the mechanical properties and decreased the roughness of surfaces. The enthalpy value was lower for films with phenolic acids than for pure chitosan. Chitosan with ferulic acid showed the highest antioxidant activity and water permeability value. Based on the obtained results, we determined that films obtained from the chitosan/ferulic acid mixture are the most promising for use as packaging material.

Effect of packaging materials and spices on the sensory quality of smoked Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) was evaluated. The smoked C. gariepinus treated with garlic, ginger, garlic–ginger homogenate, and the control (unpreserved) was stored for 112 days at ambient temperature inside plastic (polyethylene terephthalate) and nylon (polythene). The four groups garlic, ginger, garlic–ginger homogenate spiced fish, and the control (unpreserved) fish samples comprising 216 fish in each group totaling 864 fish (226 ± 23 g) were euthanized, gutted, cleaned, and hot-smoked using Nigeria Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) smoking kiln, packaged, and sampled at 14-day intervals for a period of 112 days at ambient temperatures (27 ± 2°C). Organoleptic assessment was carried out by a semi-trained taste panel. Data obtained were subjected descriptive statistics (mean) and virtual analysis (bar chart). The results indicated that garlic–ginger homogenate preserved catfish was rated as having the best odor (mean score 9.25) at the onset of the experiment, followed by ginger-preserved catfish (mean score 7.58). However, control was rated as having the best texture (mean score 8.25), followed by garlic–ginger homogenate (mean score 7.17). Plastic (polyethylene terephthalate) was established as a better packaging material than nylon (polythene) as the scores allotted by taste panelists started decreasing earlier for the odor and texture of the smoked fish samples with increased storage time when packaged inside nylon. Garlic–ginger homogenate was recommended as both preservative and spices of C. gariepinus, while plastic was recommended as better packaging material at room temperature.

Literature data regarding the survival of microorganisms on materials used for food package purposes are scarce. The aim of the current study is to assess the survival of Listeria monocytogenes on different packaging materials for dairy products during extended storage at different temperatures. Three packaging materials (5 × 5 cm) were contaminated with a cocktail of five strains of Listeria monocytogenes suspended in a cheese homogenate, including the cheese’s native microbial population. Contaminated samples were incubated at 37°, 12°, and 4°C and periodically analyzed up to 56 days. The evolution of the total viable count and pathogen population was evaluated. At 37°C, the results showed that Listeria monocytogenes was no longer detected on polyethylene-coated nylon (B) by day 4 and on polyethylene-coated parchment (A) and greaseproof paper (C) by day 7. Interestingly, the initial cell population (ranging between 2.5 and 2.7 log CFU/cm2) of Listeria monocytogenes increased to 3 log CFU/cm2 within 4 days of storage at 12°C on A and C. During storage, the number remained fairly constant at 12°C and 4°C on two materials (A–C) and decreased slowly on the third one (B). This study shows that survival of Listeria monocytogenes on packaging materials for dairy products will be higher when stored at 4 or 12°C compared to 37°C. The survival of Listeria monocytogenes on the packaging materials raises concerns of cross-contamination during food handling and preparation at catering and retail premises and within the home, highlighting the importance of treating the packaging materials as a potential source of cross-contamination. These initial findings may aid in quantifying risks associated with contamination of food packaging materials.

Predmet doktorske disertacije obuhvata izbor ambalažnog materijala i uslova pakovanja, pakovanje tradicionalnog pekarskog proizvoda pite sa sirom, kao i očuvanje proizvoda tokom skladištenja.Polupečene pite sa sirom su proizvedene i pakovane u petoslojne i sedmoslojne polimerne kese, pri atmosferskim i u uslovima modifikovane atmosfere pakovanja, sa dodatkom i bez dodatka sakupljača kiseonika. Nakon pakovanja, pite su skladištene i ispitivane po sledećoj dinamici: 0, 2, 4, 8, 12 i 16 nedelja skladištenja. Izvršena su ispitivanja ambalažnih materijala i ambalaže, kao i upakovanog proizvoda. Tokom ispitivanja ambalažnih materijala i ambalaže određivana su: fizičko-hemijska i strukturna svojstva ambalažnih materijala, barijerna svojstva ambalaže, koncentracija gasova u ambalaži i kvalitet formiranih varova. Ispitivanja upakovanog proizvoda su se odnosila na: fizičko-hemijska svojstva pite sa sirom, senzorska svojstva pite sa sirom i mikrobiološka ispitivanja pite sa sirom.Primenjeni ambalažni materijali su pokazali odgovarajuća fizičko, mehanička i strukturna svojstva. Takođe, oba ambalažna materijala pokazuju dobre barijerne karakteristike na ispitivane gasove. Izračunavanjem ukupne zapremine kiseonika koja može biti propuštena kroz ambalažu tokom skladištenja je utvrđeno da je upotreba sakupljača kiseonika od 100 ml dovoljna da omogući skladištenje pite sa sirom, pakovane u obe vrste ambalaže, u vremenskom periodu od 122 dana (16 nedelja), bez promene koncentracije kiseonika veće od 1%. Analizom koncentracije gasova u ambalaži je utvrđeno da su najmanje oscilacije merenih gasova tokom skladištenja pokazali uzorci pakovani u petoslojne, kao i sedmoslojne kese, u atmosferi vazduha sa dodatkom sakupljača kiseonika. Fizičko-hemijska svojstva (kiselinski stepen, peroksidni broj, sadržaj vlage, aw vrednost) uzoraka pita sa sirom su se menjala tokom skladištenja, zavisno od vrste ambalaže i uslova pakovanja. Period skladištenja utiče na senzorski kvalitet proizvedenih pita sa sirom. Nakon 16 nedelja skladištenja pita sa sirom upakovanih usa sirom kese od petoslojnog i sedmoslojnog ambalažnog materijala, u atmosferskim uslovima, sa dodatkom sakupljača kiseonika, ne dolazi do promena ukupnog broja kvasaca i plesni.Na osnovu ciljeva doktorske disertacije, izvršenih ispitivanja i postignutih rezultata, može se zaklučiti da su predloženi ambalažni materijali, kao i uslovi pakovanja doprineli produženju održivosti tradicionalnog pekarskog proizvoda - pite sa sirom.Primenom barijernih ambalažnih materijala, kombinovanjem atmosferskih uslova pakovanja i sakupljača kiseonika, moguće je skladištiti pite sa sirom u dužem periodu., The subject of doctoral thesis includes the selection of packaging material and packaging conditions, packaging of traditional bakery product phyllo dough pastry with cheese, as well as the preservation of the product during the storage period. Partially baked phyllo dough pastry with cheese have been produced and packed into five and seventh layer polymeric bags, by using atmospheric and modified atmospheric packaging conditions, with and without the addition of the oxygen scavengers. After the packaging, phyllo dough pastries have been stored, and the dynamics of researches has been referred to: 0, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 16 week of storing.Researches of packaging material and the product of packaging have been conducted. Examination of packaging material includes: physicochemical and structural properties, barrier properties, concentration of gases inside the packaging and the quality of welds. Examination of the product of packaging includes: physicochemical properties, sensorial properties and microbiological properties of the phyllo dough with cheese.Applied packaging materials have shown an adequate physical, mechanical and structural performances. Furthermore, both packaging materials have shown good barrier characteristics against examined gases. By the calculation of total oxygen volume, which might penetrate throughout packaging materials during storing period, it can be concluded that the application of 100 ml oxygen scavenger is sufficient to provide the storing of phyllo dough pastry, packed in both packaging materials, during a period of 122 days (16 weeks) without oxygen concentration changes higher than 1%. The analysis of gas concentration in packaging has shown that the smallest oscillations of gas concentration during the storage have been determined inside the packaging of five and seven layer packaging material, in air conditions by using oxygen scavengers.Physicochemical performances (acid number, peroxide value, moisture content and aw value) of the samples vary depending on the packaging material and the packaging conditions, during the storage period. The storage period affects the sensorial quality of phyllo dough pastries. After sixteen weeks of storage, phyllo dough pastry with cheese, packed into five and seven layer packaging material, in air atmosphere, with the addition of oxygen scavenger, did not show the increase of the total number of yeasts and molds.Based on the goals, conducted research and results obtained, it might be concluded that suggested packaging materials, as well as the packaging conditions contribute to the additional sustainability of traditional bakery product - phyllo dough pastry with cheese. By the application of barrier packaging material, and combining the atmosphere packaging conditions and the oxygen scavenger it is possible to store phyllo dough pastry for a longer period.

Plastic-based materials are frequently used in packaging and can be seen universally in both the developed and developing societies. At present, most of the currently used food packaging materials are nondegradable and are creating serious environmental problems. New technologies are being explored and developed to study the complex interaction between the food packaging materials and food. For example, nanocomposite of cellulose constitutes environmentally friendly packaging, which is easily recycled by combustion and requires low power consumption in production. There are several such biodegradable materials which are available at a low price, have good mechanical properties and allow disposal in the soil. This is advantageous because biological degradation produces only carbon dioxide, water, and inorganic compounds to name a few. It has also been discovered that biodegradable plastics made of such materials can be disposed of together with organic waste. The widespread use of biopolymers in the place of standard plastics would help to reduce the weight of waste. Therefore, biodegradable materials take part in the natural cycle “from nature to nature” and play an important role for environmental sustainability. So, in this article, we briefly summarize the different characteristic of biodegradable polymers being used in food packaging applications.

Functional food is positioned above the traditional, with the potential to improve human health. Thanks to very good physico-mechanical and barrier properties polymers became very popular in food industry as a packaging materials. Wild range of fermented dairy products could be packed in this packaging materials according to their’s inertness as well. Functional milk beverage was obtained from milk with 0,9% milk fat content by applying 10% v/v of kombucha’s inoculum cultivated on a black tea sweetened with sucrose. The beverage was packed in a different packaging materials: polyamid-polyethylen (PA/PE) coextruded foil bags and polyprophylen (PP) cups closed with aluminium (Al) foil lids under atmospheric conditions (ATM). Beverages were storaged for 15 days at 4°C. The quality of kombucha inoculum, milk and obtained kombucha fermented milk beverage were analysed. Characterization of the packaging materials was done by investigating physico-mechanical, barrier and structural properties. The composition and changes in the headspace atmosphere, after production and during the storage, were analysed. The influence of packaging material properties and packaging conditions on the biochemical transformations of the milk’s components (the content of: lactose, L-lactic acid, D-galactose, ethanol, B1 and B2 vitamins) influenced by kombucha starter were analysed as well. On the bases of the obtained results of characterisation of packaging materials, it can be concluded that PA/PE and PP materials are proper to be used for analysed beverage’s packaging. Also, there is no significant difference in content of components which were quantified, between analysed materials in correlation with the packed fermented milk beverage. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III-46009]

Films with appropriate mechanical properties and low permeability are very important for food packages. The aim of this research was to develop and characterize the ternary films made from chitosan (CH), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and fish gelatin (FG) at different blend compositions (50/50/0, 40/40/20, 35/35/30, 30/30/40, and 25/25/50, CH/PVA/FG) via a simple casting method. Stress-strain curves showed that the incorporation of 20% FG into the films made them tougher as well as making them more elastic; optimum ternary films were obtained using CH/PVA/FG ratio of 40/40/20, giving maximum values of TS and EAB as 41.93 ± 3.24 MPa and 133.13 ± 13.23%, respectively. The water vapor permeability (WVP) values of the ternary films were in the range of 0.686–0.818 g mm/kPa h m2. With increasing FG content, the WVP of the films increased to some extent, whereas the water solubility was reduced up to 23%. Water absorption increased with increasing FG concentration up to 874%. Meanwhile, the ultraviolet–visible-light barrier of the resultant ternary films was significantly improved with the addition of FG; at the same time, an increase in FG concentrations also made the films more opaque and improved their thermal stability. FT-IR spectra showed interactions through hydrogen bonding between the polar groups of FG and hydroxyl moieties of CH and PVA in the blends, which enhanced the compatibility between the three polymers. X-ray diffraction analysis suggested compatibility among the polymeric-blends, and changes of the surface of the films was confirmed by SEM and AFM analyses. The obtained results suggested the effectiveness of blending approach in improving the compatibility of polymers and overall functionality of films., The study has been carried out with the financial support from Research Council of Tarbiat Modares University.

Effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing (200–400 MPa/5 or 10 min) on functional properties of cellulose acetate (CA) films were investigated. As for mechanical properties, HHP caused a reduction in tensile strength (TS), Young's modulus (YM) and an increase in elongation at break (EB). The pressurized films were more luminous, yellowish, reddish and opaque. Less affinity for water was detected for pressurized films through analyses of contact angle and moisture absorption, in addition to reducing the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the occurrence of delamination for most films, except those treated with 200 MPa/10 min and 300 MPa/10 min. All films showed a predominance of amorphous structure in X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). That is alignment with the results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), which presented values for glass transition temperature (Tg), water adsorption and melting temperature characteristic of materials with low crystallinity. Films treated with HHP had better mechanical resistance during the sealing at 250 °C. In overall the results confirmed the minimal influence of HHP on the functional properties of the CA film and contributed to the scientific and technological knowledge for its potential application in foods processed by HHP., Materials science, Food science, Emerging technology, Cellulose acetate, Packaging materials, Heat seal strength, Physicochemical properties

Unripe plantain flour (UPF) is hygroscopic and gets spoilt if not correctly processed, packaged and stored. Thus, the need to study the functional and pasting properties of the UPF, and the sensory attributes of the cooked paste (amala) as affected by packaging materials and storage periods. The UPF was produced using the standard method, packaged in a polypropylene woven sack (PPS) and polyvinyl chloride container (PVC), stored for 20-weeks at room temperature and analyzed at 4-weeks intervals. Results showed that the solubility index of UPF packaged in PPS had a significant (p

This study had the support of Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2013 granted to MARE, and was partially supported by the projects CENTRO-07-0402-FEDER-23496 from the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN), POCI-01- 0247-FEDER-006392 through the COMPETE-Operational Competitiveness Programme and the project EASME/EMFF/2016/1.2.1.4/03/SI2.750419 by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, Action 1.2.1.4–Blue Labs: innovative solutions for maritime challenge. Ana Augusto wish to acknowledge the financial support given by FCT (SFRH/BD/131465/2017). The growing search for natural alternatives to synthetic food packaging materials and additives has increased, and seaweed extracts’ bioactivity has made them suitable candidates for incorporation in novel edible films. This study aims to investigate the effect of Codium tomentosum seaweed extract (SE) incorporation in alginate and chitosan edible films. Alginate- and chitosan-based films with and without the incorporation of 0.5% SE were characterized according to their physical, optical, mechanical, and thermal properties. Seaweed extract incorporation in chitosan films resulted in an increase of film solubility (50%), elasticity (18%), and decrease of puncture strength (27%) and energy at break (39%). In alginate films, the extract incorporation significantly decreased film solubility (6%), water vapour permeability (46%), and elasticity (24%), and had no effect on thermal properties. Depending on the type of application, the addition of SE in edible films can bring advantages for food conservation. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The present paper reports on pectin based films modified with carboxymethyl cellulose intended for food packaging. The films are prepared by solvent-casting method with different carboxymethyl cellulose content and cross-linker concentration (Ca2+ ions) in the presence of glycerol as a plasticizer. FT-IR spectra of the prepared films propose that carboxyl group from pectin are mainly involved in interactions with CMC, whereas −OH groups are mainly involved in self-associated hydrogen bonding of neat polymers. Further, an addition of carboxymethyl cellulose improved mechanical properties compared to pure pectin films, while TGA analysis confirmed satisfying thermal stability regarding their potential application as packaging material. Finally, water vapor permeability values are in the range of 1.32 × 10−7 up to 2.03 × 10−7 g/m h Pa. The 24th Annual World Forum on Advanced Materials, Poznan, Poland, May 9–13, 2016

The presence of fungi in our foods poses serious health risks as some genera of fungi may produce certain mycotoxins which have carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and immunosuppressive effect on humans and animals alike. Fruitbodies of Pleurotus ostreatus were solar dried at a moisture content of 12.5 ± 0.2% and stored in polythene and polypropylene packs, gamma irradiated at doses of 0 (control), 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 kGy at a dose rate of 1.7 kGy/hr from a Cobalt 60 source (SLL, 515, Hungary) and stored at room temperature 28–30°C for a period of 12 months. Mycological analyses were done at intervals of 0, 3, 6, and 12 months. A total of eleven (11) fungi belonging to eight fungal genera were isolated on both Cooke's and DRBC media; Aspergillus (A. niger, A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. tamarii), Rhizopus (R. oligosporus), Mucor (M. racemosus), Fusarium (F. oxysporum), Penicillium (Penicillium sp.), Trichoderma (T. viride), and Rhodotorula sp. were recorded. There was a significant (p

alpha-Tocopherol (alpha-TC) and alpha-TC/cyclodextrin (CD)-inclusion complex (IC) incorporated electrospun poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanofibers (NF) were developed via electrospinning (PLA/alpha-TC-NF and PLA/alpha-TC/gamma-CD-IC-NF). The release of alpha-TC into 95% ethanol (fatty food simulant) was much greater from PLA/alpha-TC/gamma-CD-IC-NF than from PLA/alpha-TC-NF because of the solubility increase in alpha-TC; this was confirmed by a phase-solubility diagram. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging assay shows that PLA/alpha-TC-NF and PLA/alpha-TC/gamma-CD-IC-NF had 97% antioxidant activities; this value was expected to be high enough to inhibit lipid oxidation. PLA/alpha-TC-NF and PLA/alpha-TC/gamma-CD-IC-NF were tested directly on beef with the thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) method, and the nanofibers displayed a lower TBARS content than the unpackaged meat sample. Thus, active packaging significantly enhanced the oxidative stability of the meat samples at 4 degrees C. In conclusion, PLA/alpha-TC/gamma-CD-IC-NF was shown to be promising as an active food-packaging material for prolonging the shelf life of foods. (C) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The vast and ever-growing amount of agricultural and food wastes has become a major concern throughout the whole world. Therefore, strategies for their processing and value-added reuse are needed to enable a sustainable utilization of feedstocks and reduce the environmental burden. By-products of potato, tomato, cereals and olive arise in significant amounts in European countries and are consequently of high relevance. Due to their composition with various beneficial ingredients, the waste products can be valorized by different techniques leading to economic and environmental advantages. This paper focuses on the waste generation during industrial processing of potato, tomato, cereals and olives within the European Union and reviews state-of-the-art technologies for their valorization. Furthermore, current applications, future perspectives and challenges are discussed. This work was carried out in the framework of the AgriMax project (Valorization of agricultural residues and side streams from the agro-food industry), which is supported by the European Commission and has received funding from the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the grant agreement No. 720719.

Suppliers are an important part of business because they supply the company with sources for production. If a company relies solely on one supplier, it may interrupt the flow of production due to failure to deliver material. Suppliers can demonstrate its strength mainly by increasing prices or reducing the quality of supplied materials. In the wine sector, there are the following major groups of suppliers: feedstock suppliers (wine grapes), suppliers of chemical additives and other substances necessary for the production of wine, suppliers of manufacturing technology, suppliers of packaging materials, energy suppliers and other vendors.Highest bargaining power is currently available to suppliers of energy, because energy is an essential resource for the industry and there are few suppliers of this product. But their bargaining power gradually decreases depending on the liberalization of energy markets, supported by interest in this area. Overall, it can be stated that the bargaining effect is of medium importance.

Background: Pro-vitamin A carotenoid (pVAC) rich foods are those foods that contain substance which can be converted within the human body into retinol. These foods also contribute to the reduction of vitamin A deficiency diseases. Yellow-seeded maize flour is a pVAC rich food. Identifying the right packaging materials and storage conditions that retain pVAC in this food is essential for their health benefits. Traditionally, maize flour is stored with different packaging materials to increase its shelf life. For example, previous studies have shown how during storage in different food matrices, carotenoids, including maize grains, are highly susceptible to degradation by temperature, light, and oxygen. Therefore, in this study we investigated the effect of storage packaging materials (polypropylene woven sacks-PWS, high-density polyethylene bags-HDPE, and polyvinyl plastic containers-PPC) and storage condition (temperature and relative humidity) on retaining pVAC in yellow-seed maize flour. Methods: The yellow-seeded maize grains were collected and ground into flour. The maize flour was divided into portions (200 g). Each portion was packed and sealed in PWS, HDPE, and PPC. The control samples (12 pieces) were stored on top of the storage box. The packed samples were stored in both the upper (12 samples) and lower (12 samples) compartment of a storage wooden box. The interior of the upper part was lightened with aluminum foil and fitted with fluorescent tube to increase the light intensity. The lower compartment was darkened with gloss black painting. The flour samples were stored for 28 days. Samples were collected for pVAC and xanthophylls analyses at 7 day intervals using standard methods. Results: The results demonstrated how packaging in PPC and storing in a dark compartment resulted in the highest total pVAC (92.39%) and total xanthophylls (89.44%) retention and retinol equivalent (RE) (0.40 µg/g). In contrast, packaging in HDPE and storing in lighted compartment resulted in the lowest pVAC (44.92%) and total xanthophylls (46.76%) retention and RE (0.19 µg/g). Conclusions: Packaging yellow-seeded maize flour in PPC and storing in the dark may be recommended for maximum retention of carotenoids in yellow-seeded maize flour since, as the packaging material and storage condition resulted in the highest pVAC retention and retinol equivalent. Keywords: Yellow-seeded maize; Carotenoids; Packaging materials; Storage conditions; Retinol equivalent

Subtilisin was immobilized on polycaprolactam and used for food packaging applications to reduce the transference of microorganisms from the packaging material to the packaged food material. The optimized conditions for subtilisin immobilization was as follows: pH, 8; temperature, 4 �C; glutaraldehyde, 0.5%; incubation time, 25 h; and subtilisin concentration, 600 ?L. The formation of -CH=N- at 1576 cm -1 in the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum confirmed the immobilization. Subtilisin-immobilized polycaprolactam (SIP) exhibited the highest residual activity of 106.67 � 4.41% and 104.67 � 0.88% at 40 �C and pH 8 and retained residual activity of 94% at the end of 56 days when compared to 21.33 � 4.10% in the case of free subtilisin. SIP significantly (p < 0.05) lowered the colony forming units (CFU), dry weight, and protein and carbohydrate contents in bacterial and fungal biofilm. Practical application of the SIP on ham steaks at 4 and 20 �C showed a 2-3 times reduction of Staphylococcus aureus as well as Escherichia coli cells in the range of p < 0.05. � 2011 American Chemical Society.

International audience; Chitosan (0.1-1%, w/w), dissolved in 2% ace- tic acid solution, was added into 1% methylcellulose (MC)-based formulation containing 0.5% vegetable oil, 0.25% glycerol and 0.025% Tween®80. Films were prepared by casting. Puncture strength (PS), puncture deformation (PD), viscoelasticity coefficient and water vapour perme- ability (WVP) of the films were measured. The PS value of 312 N/mm was observed for MC-based films containing 0.25% chitosan. Values of PD, viscoelasticity coefficient and WVP of these films were 5.0 mm, 44.1%, and 6.0 g mm/m2 day kPa, respectively. The MC-based films containing 0.25% chitosan were also exposed to gamma radiation (0.5-50 kGy). The PS of the treated films decreased significantly from 312 at 0 kGy to 201 N/mm when treated at a dose of 50 kGy. However, WVP values were not affected by increasing irradiation the dose used. The Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy supported the molecular interactions due to addition of chitosan in MC- based films. Thermo gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetric experiments showed that thermal properties of the films were significantly improved by chitosan loading. Surface topography of the films was studied by scanning electron microscopy and found rougher due to chitosan addition.

Antimicrobial packaging materials were obtained by incorporation of lysozyme into cellulose acetate (CA) films. In order to achieve controlled release of lysozyme, the structure of the films was changed from highly asymmetric and porous to dense by modulating the composition of the initial casting solution. The highest release rate, soluble lysozyme activity and antimicrobial activity were obtained with the film prepared from 5% CA solution including 1.5% lysozyme. Increasing CA content in the casting solution decreased the porosity of the films, hence, reduced the release rate, maximum released lysozyme activities and the antimicrobial activities of the films. In contrast, immobilized lysozyme activities and the tensile strength of the films increased. The incorporation of lysozyme did not cause significant reductions in tensile strength and elongation at break values except in films prepared with 15% CA. This study showed the good potential of asymmetric CA films to achieve controlled release in antimicrobial packaging., İzmir Yüksek Teknoloji Enstitüsü

Newly developed packaging paper made of biopulped pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) and poly(lactic acid)(PLA) was studied. PALF packaging sheets were solvent impregnated with PLA at different concentrations in order to improve their moisture barrier and mechanical performance. With the impregnation of PLA at a concentration of 4%, the packaging material exhibited a low moisture uptake and a high tear index. An electron micrograph of the sample at 4% impregnation revealed uniform and packed PLA reversed microsphere morphology. These results suggest that surface coating via biodegradable polymers, such as PLA, may be utilized for manufacturing packaging materials in industrial applications. This new packaging material could reduce the dependency on wood-based paper and plastic-based packaging.

'Active and intelligent' (A&I) food packaging is based on a deliberate interaction of the packaging with the food and/or its direct environment. This article presents: (i) the main types of materials developed for food contact; (ii) the global market and the future trends of active and intelligent packaging with a special emphasis on safety concerns and assessment; and (iii) the EU Legislation and compliance testing of these novel food packaging technologies. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of high-pressure processing on mechanical and thermal properties of four complex packaging materials (polyethylenelethylene vinyl alcohol/ polyethylene: PEIEVOHIPE; metallized polyester/polyethylene: PETmetlPE; polyester/ polyethylene: PETIPE; polypropylene SiOx recovered: PPSiOx) was studied. Pouches of the different materials containing distilled water or olive oil as food simulants, as well as empty ones, were subjected to 400 MPa for 30 min, at temperatures of 20 or 60°C. Delamination and wrinkling were a general consequence of the high-pressure processing of multilayer polymeric systems. However, no significant changes were observed regarding the mechanical properties of PE containing laminates after pressurization. PPSiOx underwent significant modifications as SiOx completely broke down. Neither thermal property was affected by pressure, as it was the processing temperature that induced tempering effects on the crystallization behaviour of polymeric components. Only PE/EVOH/ PE, when in contact with water as a simulant, presented a decrease in the melting point temperature.

Mechanical forces exerted on apples in wooden crates during the transport period from the harvest to market stage, as well as the damage caused by these forces were determined. Typical wooden crates as specified in Turkish Standard, TS 3766, and widely used in apple transport in Turkey were used in the study. Apples were placed into containers in three layers. Force measurements were made at a total of 21 measurement points. Containers were placed onto free fall, horizontal impact and vibration simulators in the laboratory and the free-fall force in vertical direction, horizontal impact forces in vertical and horizontal directions and vibration forces in vertical and horizontal directions were measured. The means of free fall, horizontal impact and vibration forces were used to calculate the values of mechanical forces acting on the crates during transport. The correlation between mechanical force and damage was linear in both apple cultivars and a significant correlation was found for apple cultivars Granny Smith and Starkspur Golden Delicious, respectively. Significant differences between the damage at the lower and the uppermost layers were observed in both apple cultivars.

Chitosan was immobilized onto plasma activated biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films aimed at producing antimicrobially active barrier film for food packaging applications. 1% chitosan dissolved into 0.1 M acetic acid was mixed with 0.1% glutaraldehyde (cross-linking agent) and applied onto N2-plasma + NH3 activated BOPP film. Amount of immobilized chitosan was 1.8 g/m2. Films had strong antimicrobial activity against both Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli and they reduced the oxygen transmission rate (OTR) measured in dry conditions from 1500 down to 27 cm3/(m2·24 h). Migration tests for determining the total amounts of substances migrating into food simulants (3% acetic acid, 95% ethanol and iso-octane) indicated, that chitosan coating was permanently immobilized onto BOPP without any leaching (total migration < 2 mg/dm2), thus it met the requirements stipulated in Directive 2002/72/EC relating to plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs. The results suggest that chitosan treated BOPP films may be exploited in various food packaging applications requiring high oxygen barrier and/or antimicrobially active packaging materials.

Results concerning the compatibilization and the chemical-physical characterisation of blends of PET and polyolefins (HDPE, PP) obtained from postconsumer packaging materials are presented. The blend compatibilization was carried out by melt mixing and extrusion processes in the presence of a variety of polyolefins functionalized with reactive groups, such as maleic anhydride, acrylic acid, and glycidyl methacrylate. The effect of the type and concentration of compatibilizer, as well as the mixing conditions on the morphology, crystallization behavior, thermal stability, rheological, and dynamic-mechanical properties of the blends was investigated by various techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy, rheometry, differential calorimetry, thermogravimetry, FTIR, NMR, and mechanical analysis.

The final publication is available at Springer via http://10.1007/s10853-014-8408-8 Among different strategies to reduce costs in microalgae dewatering process via cross-flow filtration, the one related to membrane material was investigated in order to be decreased. Several materials were tested, starting with the ones commonly used in membrane technology [ceramic, polysulfone (PSf) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN)] to the ones generally employed in packaging industry [acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) and polylactic acid (PLA)], the latter being considerably cheaper. Experiments carried out showed promising results in terms of permeabilities for PSf-Pluronic® F127 blended membranes and PAN membranes (11 ± 1 L/h/m2/bar and 22 ± 1 L/h/m 2/bar, respectively, instead of 2 ± 2 L/h/m2/bar of PSf membranes), but with high related costs. PLA membranes showed good mechanical properties, biodegradability and price, but low permeability values (5 ± 1 L/h/m2/bar). PETG membranes showed attractive results in terms of costs and permeability, but poor mechanical properties. The polymer that offered the best results was the ABS that reached membrane permeabilities of 19 ± 1 L/h/m2/bar, maintaining good mechanical properties while filtering the microalgae Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin. Thus, a novel functionality was found for these not so common polymers in microalgae dewatering. This indicates that use of these materials could also be considered in other aqueous micro/ultrafiltration applications. In addition, the biodegradable PLA polymer introduces a new concept of cheap and environmental friendly membrane in this application. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Many people experience difficulty when opening a vacuum-sealed jar. Yet solutions to the problem continue to be tool-based rather than exploring the possibility of innovative changes in product packaging. Improvement depends on gaining knowledge of the capabilities of users, and of using that knowledge as a base for product innovation. To establish such a base we took a sample of 750 subjects and asked them two questions about how they opened jars at home. We then carried out torque measurements using a force transducer shaped like a jam jar. We reached the conclusion that if opening torque was reduced to 2 N m then 97.6% of users between 50 and 94 years of age and 100% of 20-30 year old users would have no difficulty opening a jar.

The eigenmodes of bending vibrations of packaging materials as of a plate for various directions of orthotrophy are analyzed. The obtained results are used in the process of identification of machine direction and cross direction of paperboard. One dimensional model of tension of physically non-linear packaging materials is proposed. The displacements obtained by using this model are compared with the linear ones. Experimental investigations of longitudinal uniaxial tension of paperboard used for the production of packages were performed. Uniaxial tension was applied in the machine direction as well as in the cross direction of the paperboard. Mechanical characteristics and stress – strain relationships have been determined and are analyzed. Correspondence between the experimental and numerical results in the initial stage of deformations is determined.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.19.1.3827

The objectives of this study were to demonstrate that the presence of ethanol in a solution containing two esters and two aromatic alcohols has several consequences on the sorption of these compounds into polyethylene (PE) film. First, sorption of ethanol into the PE film occurred at the same time as water and reached 8 kg m(-3) using 12% v/v of ethanol. This sorption was associated with an increase in PE crystallinity, which may have prevented the sorption of volatile compounds despite their strong affinity with PE film, as evaluated by Hansen solubility parameters. Moreover, increasing the ethanol concentration increased the solubility of the four volatile compounds. In the case of aromatic alcohols, the sorption was decreased in the presence of ethanol as expected. In the case of esters, as their hydrolysis was substantial in the presence of water, the consequence was a higher sorption into the PE film in the presence of ethanol than in its absence. Nevertheless, the sorption also depended on the concentration of ethanol and the heterogeneity of the ethanol water mixture as well as the presence of other volatile compounds, as in the case of 4-ethylphenol. In conditions simulating wine packaging, losses of volatile compound by sorption and by permeation estimated after only 5 days of contact varied between 0.08 and 25% for 2-phenylethanol and ethyl hexanoate, respectively.

A convenient organic solvent treatment method was developed for the determination of Cd, Cr, Hg, and Pb in polyethylene and polypropylene matrices by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The solvent treatment method had many advantages for the fast, simple, and accurate multi-element analysis of these materials. Calibration curves were prepared using organometallic compounds in xylene in the concentration range of 1-80 mg kg(-1). The prepared samples had a homogeneous elemental distribution and good durability. The trueness for the quantification of mentioned elements were checked by using a polyethylene certified reference material. The apparent recoveries of the elements with certified values were in the range of 0.81 (Hg) to 1.14 (Pb). The precision was normally better than 8% RSD, with the exception of Hg (10%). The method detection limits were found to be 12, 24, 12, and 12 mg kg(-1) for Cd, Cr, Hg, and Pb, respectively. Polyethylene and polypropylene samples were analyzed by both the XRF method and the reference technique for comparative purposes. Application of analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed no differences between the mean results. The proposed method could be also applied to several different xylene soluble plastics.

Date of Conference: 27-29 Oct. 2008 Conference name: 23rd International Symposium on Computer and Information Sciences, ISCIS 2008 This study investigates the use of low-cost infrared (IR) sensors for the determination of geometry and surface properties of commonly encountered features or targets in indoor environments, such as planes, corners, edges, and cylinders using artificial neural networks (ANNs). The intensity measurements obtained from such sensors are highly dependent on the location, geometry, and surface properties of the reflecting target in a way which cannot be represented by a simple analytical relationship, therefore complicating the localization and classification process. We propose the use of angular intensity scans and feature vectors obtained by modeling of angular intensity scans and present two different neural network based approaches in order to classify the geometry and/or the surface type of the targets. In the first case, where planes, 90° corners, and 90° edges covered with aluminum, white cloth, and Styrofoam packaging material are differentiated, an average correct classification rate of 78% of both geometry and surface over all target types is achieved. In the second case, where planes, 90° edges, and cylinders covered with different surface materials are differentiated, an average correct classification rate of 99.5% is achieved. The method demonstrated shows that ANNs can be used to extract substantially more information than IR sensors are commonly employed for. © 2008 IEEE.

In this study we tested the antimicrobial activity of polyethylene films modified by means of plasma processes that were followed by the chemical immobilization of lysozyme, an antimicrobial enzyme. To chemically immobilize the enzyme in its active form at the surface of polyethylene, substrates that had been plasma treated under different experimental conditions were soaked in lysozyme solutions at different concentrations. The immobilization of the enzyme was checked, and the antimicrobial activity of the films was investigated by observing the death rate of Micrococcus lysodeikticus cells suspended in phosphate buffer in contact with the films. The results clearly indicate that plasma-treated films loaded with lysozyme are active against the selected microorganism. A modified version of the Gompertz equation was used to quantitatively valuate the dependence of the antimicrobial activity of the films under both plasma treatment conditions and lysozyme concentrations.

Multiple solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is an useful technique for the direct quantification of solid samples removing any matrix effect. The volatile organic compounds formed in the extrusion-coating process of multilayer packaging materials have already been quantified by multiple HS-SPME coupled to gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) using volatile organic compound (VOC) solutions in hexadecane for calibration. In this article, water is proposed as solvent to prepare the calibration solutions because it provides a shorter calibration time, better linearity, better reproducibility, and lower detection limits than hexadecane. Besides, the extraction of VOCs from aqueous solutions is exhaustive and avoids the extrapolations needed to calculate the total peak areas, as they can be calculated as the sum of the individual areas of each extraction. Finally, it is checked whether the two solvents provide the same mean values for the total peak areas. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The theory of multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and a method based on multiple HS-SPME for the quantitative determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in packaging materials is presented. The method allows the direct analysis of solid samples without using organic solvents to extract analytes. Multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction is a stepwise method proposed to eliminate the influence of the sample matrix on the quantitative analysis of solid samples by HS-SPME. Different amounts of packaging and different volumes of standard solution were studied in order to remove a substantial quantity of analytes from the headspace at each extraction and obtain the theoretical exponential decay of the peak area of the four successive extractions and, thus, the total area was calculated from these four extractions. In addition, two fibres were compared: carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane (CAR-PDMS) and divinylbenzene-carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane (DVB-CAR-PDMS), as they showed differences in the linearity of the exponential decay with the number of extractions depending on the compound. The CAR-PDMS fibre was better for the VOCs with a low molecular mass, whereas the DVB-CAR-PDMS fibre was better for the VOCs with a high molecular mass. Finally, the method was characterised in terms of linearity, detection limit and reproducibility and applied to analyse four multilayer packaging samples with different VOCs contents. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

A method based on headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is proposed for the quality control of multilayer packaging and its manufacturing process. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are produced in the manufacturing process of the packaging. They can cause organoleptic problems or modify the properties of the packaging depending on the nature and the amount of the VOCs formed. The quantification using packaging samples with a known VOC concentration for the calibration is proposed in order to reduce the analysis time, and the method is validated using a statistical test. Finally, the method is applied to the determination of odour-responsible compounds in multilayer packaging samples obtained under different extrusion-coating conditions, i.e. type of extruder, type of polymer and extrusion speed. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The quantification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in flexible multilayer packaging materials using headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) was studied. The analytes include 22 compounds such as aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids and hydrocarbons formed by thermooxidative degradation of polyethylene during the extrusion coating process in the manufacture of the packaging, and many of them are involved in the unpleasant and undesirable odour of these materials. External standard calibration using a solution of the analytes in an appropriate solvent was the first approach studied. Aqueous solutions of the analytes provided low reproducibility and the reduction of aldehydes to alcohols under the HS-SPME conditions. Hexadecane was chosen as the solvent since its polarity is similar to that of polyethylene and its volatility is lower than that of the analytes. However, hexadecane should be added to the sample before the analysis as it modifies the absorption capacity of the fibre. A 75-m Carboxen-poly(dimethylsiloxane) fibre was used to extract the VOCs from the headspace above the packaging in a 15-ml sealed vial at 100°C after 5 min of preincubation. The influence of the extraction time on the amount extracted was studied for a standard solution of the analytes in hexadecane, together with the influence of the volume of the standard solution and the amount of the sample placed in the vial. Standard addition and multiple HS-SPME were also studied as calibration methods and the results obtained in the quantitative analysis of a packaging material were compared. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

A method for the identification of volatile organic compounds in packaging materials is presented in this study. These compounds are formed by thermooxidative degradation during the extrusion coating process in the manufacture of packaging. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) was used as sample preparation technique prior to the determination of the volatile organic compounds by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The effects of extraction variables, such as the type of fibre, the incubation temperature, the pre-incubation time, the size of the vial and the extraction time on the amounts of the extracted volatile compounds were studied. The optimal conditions were found to be: carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane 75 m fibre, 5 min of pre-incubation time, 100°C of incubation temperature, 20-ml vial, and 15 min of extraction time. The chromatograms obtained by HS-SPME and static headspace extraction were compared in order to show that the HS-SPME method surpasses the static headspace method in terms of sensitivity. Twenty-five compounds were identified including carbonyl compounds (such as 3-methyl-butanal, 3-heptanone or octanal), carboxylic acids (such as pentanoic acid or hexanoic acid) known as odour causing compounds and hydrocarbons (such as decane, undecane or dodecane). Finally, the method was applied to different packaging samples (one odour-unacceptable, two odour-acceptable, and three odourless samples) and to the raw materials in order to find out the odour-responsible volatile organic compounds and their source. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Tez (Yüksek Lisans) -- İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, 2000, Thesis (M.Sc.) -- İstanbul Technical University, Institute of Science and Technology, 2000, Yapılan bu çalışmada çevre yönetim sisteminin bilimsel ve yönetsel prensipleri ortaya konmuş, kaynakların ve atıkların yönetimi esasları açıklanmış, örnek endüstrinin bu esaslara uygunluğu araştırılmıştır. Kağıt/karton ambalaj malzemesi üreten örnek endüstrinin mevcut çevre yönetim sistemi incelenmiştir. Proses ve atık araştırmaları yapılarak sistemin girdileri (kaynaklar) ve çıktıları (ürün ve atıklar)belirlenmiştir. Mevcut uygulamanın yönetim mekanizmalarına, yasa ve yönetmeliklere uygunluğu araştırılmıştır. Elde edilen verilere göre değerlendirmeler yapılarak gerekli görülen noktalarda öneriler getirilmiştir., In this study, scientific and management ways of environmental management system have been modelled, principles of source and waste management is mentioned and convenience of the application with this system is researched. Paper-board packaging industry which is taken as a case study, is observed according to existing environmental management applications. Utilisation of inputs (sources) and occurring outputs (products and wastes) are mentioned in process and waste survey of ındustry. Compliance of the application with management principles about sources and wastes considering the legal frame are defined. The results are evaluated and some proposals are brought in where necessary., Yüksek Lisans, M.Sc.

Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to explore the profitability drivers for a firm’s operation of a reverse supply chain (RSC) that takes back and reuses packaging materials. Results apply specifically to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in business to business environments.Design/Methodology/Approach – Using in-depth data from the Danish manufacturer of measurement instruments, Radiometer Medical, the paper first identifies the total set of factors that directly influence the profitability of reusing packaging materials, and second assesses the relative impact among the identified factors. The paper’s theoretical basis is the RSC literature’s business perspective formulated by Guide and Van Wassenhove.Findings – The drivers of profitability in packaging materials reuse are 1) the amount of avoided costs of purchasing new packaging materials, 2) the firm’s ability to reduce costs of reverse logistics.Research limitations/implications – The study’s data is limited to one firm’s operation in one country, which limits the generalizability of the paper’s findings. However, the paper provides the basis for examining the bilateral relationships between the identified drivers and reuse profitability as well as between the drivers and their sub-level antecedents.Originality/value – The study provides exploratory insights into the economics of reusing packaging materials and identifies the drivers that are decisive for a firm’s ability to reuse packaging materials profitably.