Antimicrobial-loaded nanocarriers for food packaging applications

Abstract

Increasing the demands of consumers for organic and safer foods has led to applying new technologies for food preservation. Active packaging (AP) containing natural antimicrobial agents is a good candidate for promoting the shelf life of food products. The efficiency of AP has been enhanced through nanoencapsulation methods, in which antimicrobial-loaded nanocarriers could provide a controlled release of antimicrobial active packaging for keeping the quality of foods during storage. The main objective of this review is to introduce common methods for designing novel encapsulation delivery systems offering controlled release of antimicrobials in the AP systems. The common nanocarriers for enveloping antimicrobial agents are described and the current state of art in the application of nanoencapsulated antimicrobials in development of antimicrobial APs have been summarized and tabulated. Incorporation of a carrier loaded with natural antimicrobial agents is the most effective method for developing AP in the food packaging sector which has become possible by using nanoencapsulated antimicrobials in films or coating structures, instead of using their free form. Nanoencapsulation approaches provide many advantages including protection against environmental stresses, release control, and improving the solubility and absorption of natural antimicrobials in AP, which are the main achievements overcoming the barriers for using natural antimicrobials in food packaging.

Keywords: Active packaging; Antimicrobial activity; Controlled release; Nanocarriers; Nanoencapsulation systems.