Search Results (2)

The present study aimed to assess the effect of alternative packaging materials on the quality retention and shelf-life of whole fish under low and abuse temperature conditions. Red sea bream (Pagrus major) was harvested and stored in different packaging containers, i.e., a conventional polystyrene (PS) box, a CaCO₃-based box and a cardboard box (tested as a simple alternative container for transportation and short-term storage of food). After harvesting and transportation, fish was stored in the tested containers at 2 °C for 11 days and periodically kept at room temperature (25 °C) to simulate potential temperature fluctuations in the actual supply chain. The effect of temperature fluctuations and packaging materials on the quality and remaining shelf-life of fish was determined by microbial enumeration (total viable counts, Pseudomonas spp. and Enterobacteriaceae). PS retained fish quality and maintained a low temperature of fish for longer periods of time during storage at ambient conditions. The CaCO₃-based containers also showed satisfactory performance, resulting in a similar microbial load in fish flesh to the samples stored in PS boxes after 11 days of simulated transportation and storage (TVC load 7.8–8.0 logcfu/g). Cardboard resulted in a rapid increase in the internal temperature during the temperature fluctuations at ambient conditions, resulting in higher microbial loads of fish flesh at all stages of the simulated cold chain. The replacement of conventional plastic packaging materials with alternative, environmentally friendly packaging systems without affecting the shelf-life of fish may reduce plastic waste while ensuring the high quality and shelf-life of perishable food products. Full article

Coccolithophore microalgae, such as Emiliania huxleyi (EHUX) and Chrysotila pseudoroscoffensis (CP), are composed of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and contain bioactive compounds that can be explored to produce sustainable food packaging. In this study, for the first time, these microalgae were incorporated as fillers in starch-based films, envisioning the development of biodegradable and bioactive materials for food packaging applications. The films were obtained by solvent casting using different proportions of the filler (2.5, 5, 10, and 20%, w/w). For comparison, commercial CaCO₃, used as filler in the plastic industry, was also tested. The incorporation of CaCO₃ and microalgae (EHUX or CP) made the films significantly less rigid, decreasing Young’s modulus up to 4.7-fold. Moreover, the incorporation of microalgae hydrophobic compounds as lipids turned the surface hydrophobic (water contact angles > 90°). Contrary to what was observed with commercial CaCO₃, the films prepared with microalgae exhibited antioxidant activity, increasing from 0.9% (control) up to 60.4% (EHUX 20%) of ABTS radical inhibition. Overall, the introduction of microalgae biomass improved hydrophobicity and antioxidant capacity of starch-based films. These findings should be considered for further research using coccolithophores to produce active and sustainable food packaging material. Full article