NAFISPACK (Natural antimicrobials for innovative and safe packaging)
21 Oct 2011
Periodic Report - NAFISPACK (Natural antimicrobials for innovative and safe packaging)
Quality validation date:2011-09-21
Abstract
The industry needs effective packaging systems to preserve the food safely during distribution and storage while maintaining the food quality, along with increasing demands of the consumer for fresher, minimally processed, more convenient and safer foods. The NAFSIPACK project looks at all these issues through the development of innovative packaging solutions for some selected target foodstuffs: fresh chicken, minimally processed vegetables (MPVs) and fresh fish.
Food quality is related to the preservation of the fresh food products, being the action of microorganisms one of the main food spoilage mechanisms. This is the case of the fresh chicken, fresh fish and MPVs studied in this project, which shelf life values are 11, 4 and 7 days, respectively. NAFSIPACK tries to increase them to 13, 7 and 9 days. To achieve those objectives, the project is focused on developing novel 'active packaging technologies' based on natural antimicrobials. The use of natural antimicrobials is considered safer and better tolerable than the use of synthetic preservatives, because concern about latter is steadily rising, due to a limited documentation on safety and tolerance. Despite some of them are time tested as food additives and ingredients, in general, their usage in packaging pose new parameters of evaluation and problems (stability, effectiveness, availability, costs, law compliance, etc.) that have to be studied and a severe risk assessment of materials is needed.
NAFSIPACK is also focused on the detection of the growth of pathogens and spoilage microorganisms responsible for product lost in fresh salmon and fresh chicken by means of 'intelligent packaging technologies'. The development of new visual/measurable indicators sensible to substances indicating food quality and safety, produced during spoilage of the food, will offer more reliable information than the traditional 'best before' or the 'use by'.
Collaboration sought:N/A
Source of support:CEC
Related Programme(s)/Projects
Programme Project reference Project title
FP7-KBBE 212544 Natural antimicrobials for innovative and safe packaging
