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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #249437

Title: Influences of packaging design on antimicrobial effects of gaseous chlorine dioxide

Author
item NETRAMAI, SIRIYUPA - Michigan State University
item RUBINO, MARIA - Michigan State University
item AURAS, RAFAEL - Michigan State University
item Annous, Bassam
item MATTHEWS, KARL - Rutgers University

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/18/2010
Publication Date: 7/17/2010
Citation: Netramai,S.,Rubino,M.,Auras,R.,Annous,B.,Matthews,K.2010.Influences of packaging design on antimicrobial effects of gaseous chlorine dioxide [abstract].IFT.Chicago,IL.p.1.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) gas is an effective surface disinfectant, for it has the ability to reach and inactivate bacterial cells in biofilms which are attached to inaccessible sites on produce surfaces. One of the most promising applications of gaseous ClO2 is to be included in the headspace of food packaging systems for vapor-phase decontamination. The release of ClO2 could improve the microbial safety and extend the shelf-life of perishable food products. One of the factors affecting the antimicrobial effects of ClO2 is the accessibility of the targeted product surfaces, as the direct-contact is necessary for any sanitizing agents to inactivate the microorganism. This study considered different flexible package internal designs. Each design release ClO2 in different ways. This study evaluated the impacts of packaging design on the inactivation efficiency of ClO2 gas on shredded Romaine lettuce inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7. Samples were taken from different area of the bags, and the results showed that the samples taken from the area next to the releasing spots had significantly higher CFU log reductions (up to 1.5 logs) as compared to those more distant from the releasing spots (up to 0.5 log). The study also indicated that increasing the number of releasing ports per bag and decreasing the amount of ClO2 gas resulted in a comparable average log reduction to the bag with lower numbers of releasing ports and higher ClO2 concentrations. These important findings can be used to re-design the flexible packaging system for leafy green products that will include an antimicrobial gas as the mean to improve safety and prolong shelf-life of the food product.