PET and Active Coating Based on a LDH Nanofiller Hosting p-Hydroxybenzoate and Food-Grade Zeolites: Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of Packaging and Shelf Life of Red Meat
by
Valeria Bugatti 1,2, Luigi Vertuccio 1, Federica Zuppardi 2, Vittoria Vittoria 1,2 and Giuliana Gorrasi 1,*
Valeria Bugatti 1,2, Luigi Vertuccio 1, Federica Zuppardi 2, Vittoria Vittoria 1,2 and Giuliana Gorrasi 1,*
1
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
2
Nice Filler s.r.l., via Loggia dei Pisani, 25, 80133 Napoli, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nanomaterials 2019, 9(12), 1727; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano9121727
Received: 21 November 2019 / Revised: 29 November 2019 / Accepted: 2 December 2019 / Published: 3 December 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Potential of Nanocomposites in the Packaging Field)
Layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanofillers were considered as hosts of p-hydroxybenzoate as an antimicrobial molecule for active coating. A food grade resin with LDH-p-hydroxybenzoate and two different types of food grade zeolites was used to prepare active coatings for Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) trays. The release kinetics of the active molecule were followed using UV spectrophotometry and the experimental results were analyzed with the Gallagher–Corrigan model. The thermal properties of the coating mixtures and the PET coating were analyzed and found to be dependent on the coating’s composition. On the basis of CO2 transmission rate and off-odors tests, the best coating composition was selected. Global migration in ethanol (10% v/v), acetic acid (3% w/v), and vegetable oil, and specific migration of p-hydroxybenzoic acid revealed the suitability of the material for food contact. Antimicrobial tests on the packaging demonstrated a good inhibition against Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter jejuni. Red meat was packed into the selected active materials and results were compared to uncoated PET packaging. Color tests (browning of the meat) and analysis of Enterobacteriaceae spp. and total viable count evolution up to 10 days of storage demonstrated the capability of the considered active packaging in prolonging the shelf life of red meat.
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
MDPI and ACS Style
Bugatti, V.; Vertuccio, L.; Zuppardi, F.; Vittoria, V.; Gorrasi, G. PET and Active Coating Based on a LDH Nanofiller Hosting p-Hydroxybenzoate and Food-Grade Zeolites: Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of Packaging and Shelf Life of Red Meat. Nanomaterials 2019, 9, 1727.
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