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Cooked ham is more prone to spoilage than other meat products, making preservation a key step in its commercialisation. One of the most promising preservation strategies is the use of active packaging. Oregano essential oil (OEO) and Proallium® (an Allium extract) have previously been shown to be useful in polylactic acid (PLA)-active films for ready-to-eat salads. The present work aims to study the suitability of polypropylene (PP) films containing OEO and Proallium® in the preservation of cooked ham. Concerning the technological features of the studied material, no significant changes in the mechanical or optical properties of PP films containing the active substances were recorded in comparison to the PP film without extracts. However, films containing both active substances were more flexible than the control film and less strong, highlighting the plasticisation effect of the natural extracts. Moreover, physical properties changed when active substances were added to the film. Incorporation of 4% Proallium® affected the transparency of the film to a higher extent compared to 8% OEO, undergoing decreases in transparency of 40% and 45%, respectively. Moreover, only the film containing the highest amount of OEO (8%) significantly decreased the thickness. Both active substances showed antibacterial properties; however, Proallium®-active films seemed to be more effective against Brochothrix thermosphacta than PP films containing OEO, with all percentages of Proallium® killing the bacterial population present in the ham after 60 days. In addition, materials containing the lowest Proallium® content exhibited higher acceptability by consumers in the sensory analyses with 63-100% willing to purchase, better even than the control package (56-89%). In fact, 2% of Proallium® obtained the best results in the odour study performed by the panellists.

Background: Environmental, economic and safety challenges motivate shift towards safer materials for food packaging. New bioactive packaging techniques, i.e. addition of essential plant oils (EOs), are gaining attention by creating barriers to protect products from spoilage. Analytical pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) was used to fingerprint a bioactive polylactic acid (PLA) with polybutylene succinate (PBS) (950 g kg(-1) :50 g kg(-1) ) film extruded with variable quantities (0, 20, 50 and 100 g kg(-1) ) of Origanum vulgare EO., Results: Main PLA:PBS pyrolysis products were lactide enantiomers and monomer units from the major PLA fraction and succinic acid anhydride from the PBS fraction. Oregano EO pyrolysis released cymene, terpinene and thymol/carvacrol peaks as diagnostic peaks for EO. In fact, linear correlation coefficients better than 0.950R(2) value (P < 0.001) were found between the chromatographic area of the diagnostic peaks and the amount of oregano EO in the bioplastic., Conclusion: The pyrolytic behaviour of a bio-based active package polymer including EO is studied in detail. Identified diagnostic compounds provide a tool to monitor the quantity of EO incorporated into the PLA:PBS polymeric matrix. Analytical pyrolysis is proposed as a rapid technique for the identification and quantification of additives within bio-based plastic matrices. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Some plant extracts have been proposed as potential alternative to the use of synthetic preservatives in the food industry. Among those, extracts from Allium species exhibit interesting antimicrobial and antioxidant properties for the food packaging industry. The present work aims to assess the usefulness and potential safety of the major organosulfur compound present in a commercial Allium sp. extract (PROALLIUM AP®), namely propyl thiosulfinate oxide (PTSO). For this purpose, its antimicrobial activity was studied in a wide range of microorganisms. Moreover, cytotoxicity and ultrastructural cellular damages caused by PTSO were studied in two human cell lines, Caco-2 and HepG2, being the colonic cells more sensitive to this compound. Finally, the protective role of PTSO against an induced oxidative situation was evaluated in the human intestinal Caco-2 cells. The results revealed damage at high concentration, although no significant adverse effects were recorded for the concentration to be used in food packaging. Moreover, the in vivo study also revealed the potential safety use at the established concentrations. In addition, the antimicrobial properties and the antioxidant role of PTSO were confirmed. Therefore, this compound could be considered as a good natural alternative to synthetic preservatives used in the food packaging industry., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Genotoxic data of substances which could be incorporated into food packaging are required by the European Food Safety Authority. Due to its antioxidant and antibacterial properties carvacrol is one of these compounds. This work aims to study for the first time the in vivo genotoxic effects produced in rats orally exposed to 81, 256 or 810 mg cavacrol/kg body weight (bw) at 0, 24 and 45 h. A combination of the micronucleus assay (OECD 474) in bone marrow and the standard (OECD 489) and enzyme-modified comet assay was used to determine the genotoxicity on cells isolated from stomach and liver of exposed animals. In addition, a histopathological study was performed on the assayed tissues, and also in the lungs due to the volatility of carvacrol. Direct analytical pyrolysis was used to search for carvacrol in viscera and to ensure that the compound reaches stomach and liver cells. Results from MN-comet assay revealed that carvacrol (81–810 mg/kg bw) did not induce in vivo genotoxicity or oxidative DNA damage in any of the tissues investigated. Moreover, no histopathological changes were observed. Altogether, these results suggest lack of genotoxicity of carvacrol and therefore its good profile for its potential application as food preservative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food packaging industry is in continuous development in order to obtain more secure and stable food and beverages. The incorporation of inorganic and organic materials with plastic polymers leads to polymer composites. Among the inorganic compounds, clays such as montmorillonite (MTT) and its derivatives are of great interest due to their advantageous properties. The Technological Institute of Packaging, Transport,and Logistics (ITENE) developed a novel nanocomposite based on a poly(lactic) acid (PLA) polymer using an MMT derivative, named Clay1, as filler, to be used in the beverage industry. The improvement of the technological properties of this new material was demonstrated, but safety issues are also of concern. In the present study, a histopathological examination by optical and electron microscopy of organs from Wistar rats exposed for 90 d to a migration extract of PLA–Clay1 nanocomposite was carried out. Moreover, different clinical biochemistry, inflammation,and oxidative stress biomarkers were determined. Results showed no apparent evidence of damage, indicating that this nanocomposite has a good profile to be used in the food packaging industry, although further research is still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]