Innovative and Sustainable Packaging for Optimal Food Quality

Knowledge of packaging technology is important to ensure preservation of food quality. Packaging methods and storage conditions affect the quality of food products and food waste in the value chain can be limited with proper packaging. WP 1: Packaging technologies: materials and methods - innovative and emerging concepts Experiments are conducted with traditional packaging materials, materials with natural antimicrobial components, various packaging methods and for different products. Experiments with packaging of reindeer meat show that modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) results in improved quality preservation if a CO2-emitter is included in the package. CO2-emitter is tested in combination with different packaging gases and vacuum. The results show that use of CO2 emitter increases the supply of CO2 in the packages and thus better quality preservation and extended shelf life can be achieved. It is demonstrated that some gas compositions results in improved quality preservation compared to others. It is also shown that CO2-emitter prevents increased liquid loss by maintaining the CO2 content in the package. CO2-emitter capacity is also being adapted to various chicken products (fillet, sliced). Study of liquid absorbent pads in various modified atmospheres indicates that absorption can affect the amount of liquid loss, but has no apparent effect on microbiological quality. Furthermore, selected potential spoilage bacteria from chicken fillet are studied to examine the effect on sensory quality. The purpose was to determine which bacteria are most quality detoriating thus important to inhibit, for example by use of packaging technologies. Preliminary results indicate that the degree of processing, illumination and storage with oxygen can affect the content of essential nutrient components (vitamins) in chicken products. WP 2: Value chain: impact of selected factors on food quality and food waste Various packaging methods and storage conditions were studied for chilled and frozen beef steaks on drip loss, cooking loss, texture, cell structure, sensory properties and spoilage. Cooking loss and odor were not much affected by packaging and storage. Freezing yielded higher cooking loss and affected tenderness and juiciness. Packaging of chicken fillets in 100% CO2gave substantially longer shelf life than in 60% CO2, which is commonly applied in industry. Drip loss is reduced by avoiding compression of the meat in the package. Hamburgers packaged in high O2 become brown internally by cooking to below 60 °C core temperature, and survival of pathogenic bacteria is a threat to consumers. Illumination of sliced, packaged salami showed that discoloration occurs at very low levels of residual O2 in the package. Dark storage of the packages initially at 20 °C removed O2 rapidly, avoiding later discoloration under light. Sliced, packaged Bologna was studied for changes in microflora under storage of intact and open packages. Potatoes were unacceptably green within 3 days for all light sources tested, but only Asterix under full spectra LED exceeded the limit for total glycoalkaloids. Shelf life and quality for carrots, wok-mix and bananas were investigated at different storage temperatures with/without packages. The packages protected against drying and quality deteriorations, and ideal temperatures resulted in considerably longer shelf life. Bananas should be stored at 14 °C. WP 3: Packaging of respiring foods Fruits and vegetables respires and the packaging must be adapted to the respiration rate of the product. A package with too low gas permeability will reduce the quality and increase the risk of undesirable odor and taste. Development of methodologies for measuring respiration and gas transmission rates in non-perforated and perforated packaging for fruit and vegetables and linking these parameters in a predictive model was mainly carried out in the previous program period. The methodology is utilized and further validated during this program period. Increased knowledge about respiration and gas permeability is achieved and more optimized packaging and storage conditions for carrots is obtained. Carrots packaged in too gastight packaging can develop ethanol odor and flavor and increase the risk of rot. Ethylene is a plant hormone stimulating maturation and deterioration of fruits and vegetables. Nofima, in collaboration with a supplier, tested and provided input for improvement of their ethylene instrument. Suitable methods for measuring the color and firmness of different types of fruit in relation to different packaging methods is developed. Experiments with moisture absorbing pads in packages with plums showed that the pads had limited effect on plum quality. Preservation of quality of pre-cut root vegetables is studied through a doctoral thesis. Rutabaga- and turnip cubes can be cold stored in modified atmosphere for up to 10 days, but sensory properties changed over time.

Målet med dette programmet er å bidra til konkurransedyktig og bærekraftig produksjon, lagring og distribusjon av matvarer ved optimal emballering. Vi vil studere utvalgte problemstillinger innen materialteknologi, emballeringsmetoder, interaksjon mellom emballasje-materialer og produkt, og produktkvalitet. Vi vil videre utvide produktkvalitet og holdbarhetsbegrepet til også å omfatte utvalgte helsekomponenter og mer spesifikk mikrobiell sammensetning (mikrobiota), og se dette i sammenheng med ulike aspek ter av emballering og lagring. Problemstillingene vil også i større grad omfatte verdikjeden hvor både distribusjon-, transport-, forbruker- og avfalls-aspektet er inkludert. Vi vil videre studere egnethet av materialer fra fornybare kilder, biodegraderba re materialer og materialer med spesifikke egenskaper (lysbarriere og aktive eller intelligente løsninger). Gjennom forrige programperiode har vi bygget opp en analyseplattform for å måle respirasjon for ulike frukt og grønnsaker. Helsemyndighetene anbefa ler økt inntak av frukt og grønnsaker, og arbeidet med lagrings- og emballeringsmetoder for frukt og grønnsaker vil derfor videreføres for utvalgte produkter og problemstillinger. Emballering av ferskt kjøtt og kjøttprodukter var en viktig aktivitet i for rige programperiode, og det er ervervet mye kunnskap om fordeler og ulemper med ulike emballeringsmetoder, særlig på farge. Emballeringssystemer for kjøtt endres imidlertid kontinuerlig både nasjonalt og internasjonalt, og Nofima ønsker fortsatt å være i front på dette feltet. Denne forskingsaktiviteten vil dermed fortsette, men med økt fokus på bærekraftig emballering i tillegg til kvalitetsaspektet. Resultatene som fremkommer vil bli publisert gjennom vitenskapelige og populærvitenskapelige kanaler. V idere er det et mål at kunnskapen som genereres i programmet, kan brukes som grunnlag for nye søknader i samarbeid med relevante industripartnere, og gjøre oss attraktive som samarbeidspartnere internasjonalt.