Fabrication of double layer nanoparticle infused starch-based thermoplastic food packaging system for meat preservation
Chandra Mohan Chandrasekar, Luca Nespoli, Tommaso Bellesia, Masoud Ghaani, Stefano Farris, Diego Romano
Abstract
The current work aims to produce nanoparticle-infused starch-based bioactive thermoplastic packaging films. The FeO and ZnO nanoparticles were examined to be potential active ingredients for the production of nanoparticle-infused bioactive thermoplastic packaging films. The bio-thermoplastic films infused with FeO and ZnO nanoparticles showed high oxygen scavenging and antimicrobial activity, respectively. Consecutively, both films were combined to form a double-layer Nano-Biothermoplastic packaging system for food preservation. The distribution and diffusion of nanoparticles in starch-based films were examined to be influenced by the amorphous character of starch and the swelling index of the film, respectively. The amorphous property of starch molecules showed a masking effect on the crystalline characteristics of nanoparticles in Nano-Biothermoplastic films. The diffusion of nanoparticles from the Nano-Biothermoplastic packaging system was found to influence the microbial, chemical, and color characteristics of mutton and chicken meat stored at 4 °C.