Title: The effect of packaging on food quality and human health
1The effect of packaging on food quality and human
health
- Thomas Eie, PhD
- Research Scientist, MATFORSK - Norwegian Food
Research Institute - Adjunct Associate Professor, Agricultural
University of Norway - thomas.eie_at_matforsk.no
- Please visit our website www.matforsk.no
2MATFORSK - Norwegian Food Research Institute -
(and the author)
- Key figures 2003
- 170 employees/(60 res. sci.)
- 74 int. scientific papers
- 15 million euro turnover
- Strategic Alliances
- SPIN (Norconserv and Fiskeriforskning)
- Food Alliance (MATFORSK Agricultural University
of Norway AKVAFORSK - Institute of Aquaculture
Research) - Norfood Research (MATFORSK SINTEF)
- Our mission contribute to increased
competitivity in the food industry through
research and development - Our vision being the preferred centre of
competence for the food industry - be the best in
FOOD QUALITY
- Thomas Eie
- Education Dairy engineer (1986)/PhD in dairy
technology (Technological utilisation of
carbonated milk) - 1994 - Dairy industry Laboratory manager of
Fellesmeieriet, Oslo (1991-1994) - Packaging industry RD Elopak (1994-2000)
- Food packaging RD Research Scientist at the
Matforsk Packaging Group (2001) - Lecturing Adjunct associate professor at
Agricultural University of Norway (2002).
3The effect of packaging on food quality and human
health
- Vast efforts and resources are spent to make
tasty, nutritious, healthy and wholesome food - All this will be in vain if the packaging is not
adequate to preserve these qualities and protect
the food from the environment - Adequate packaging can provide barriers for
- oxygen and carbon dioxide (MAP gas)
- inhibiting growth of unwanted microorganisms
- moulds (quality possible health hazard)
- psychrotrophic pathogens such as Listeria
monocytogenes and Yersinia enterocolotica - aerobic spoilage bacteria
- light ( oxygen)
- inhibiting breakdown of pigments, antioxidants
and vitamins - inhibiting rancidity of fats (sensory changes
health effects?) - Antibacterial packaging may also prevent
bacterial growth on food surface.
4Food For Better Health a strategic focus area
- A more elderly and fitness oriented population is
demanding products with added health effects - Products with documented health effects may be
sold at a higher price than standard products - Matforsk and partners focus on active ingredients
and how they are influenced throughout the
value-chain - Genetical selection
- Feeding/Cultivation
- Processing/Packaging/Storage
- Preparation/Consumption/Uptake
- The main focus is put on antioxidants, fat
oxidation, slow carbohydrates, acrylamide,
pathogens and lactic acid bacteria.
5Measurement of Oxygen Transmission Rate AOIR
vs. Mocon Ox-Tran
6.000,-
100.000,-
AOIR method High capacity(50 samples/session) Re
alistic test conditions (C/RH) Inexpensive
equipment
Ox-Tran 2/20 Low capacity (2 samples/session) Rea
listic test conditions not easy Expensive
equipment
6Effect of light, oxygen and storage temperature
on the development of paint odour on extruded oat
High OTR - 38 C
Dark
High OTR - 23 C
Medium OTR - 38 C
Oxygen
Light
Dark
Light
Medium OTR - 23 C
Light
Low OTR - 38 C
Max. O2 limit
Light
OK
Low OTR - 23 C
Time (Days)
7UV/VIS Spectrophotometer and Spectroradiometer
for measurement of light transmission in packages
- As the sensitivity of Lux-meters are correlated
to the sensitivity of the human eye, they are not
suitable for food quality experiments - A Spectroradiometer measures the amount of energy
for each wavelength (W/m2 per nm) that is
emitted from a light source or reached the
surface of the food.
- A specially designed UV/VIS Spectrophotometer
reveals the percentage of light that is able to
pass through a packaging material at each
wavelength (200-890 nm) - This is useful for comparing the ability of
different packaging materials to protect the food
from harmful light.
8Energy transmission (W/m2nm) in photo-filters
with HMI-lamps as measured by a Spectroradiometer
9Effect of light at different wavelengths on
vanilla ice-cream as measured by fluorescence
---- Black UV filters ---- Red UV
filters ---- Orange UV filters ----Yellow UV
filters ---- Green UV filters ---- Blue UV
filters ---- Violet UV filters ----- Neutral
UV filters ---- Neutral filter
All samples received 0.05 W/m2 in the 330-800 nm
spectrum for 24 hours
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10Fighting Listeria monocytogenes by antimicrobial
packaging
- Listeria monocytogenes is a highly pathogenic
(30 mortality) bacteria that is resistant
towards - heat-treatment and refrigerated storage (4-6C)
- salt, nitrite and acidic environment
- vacuum and MAP
- Addition of selected lactic acid bacteria may
prevent growth Listeria by production of lactic
acid and specific antibacteriological toxins -
bacteriocins - The bacterocins produced by such protective
cultures may also be incorporated into the
packaging material itself
- MATFORSK, together with partners at SINTEF, have
extensive experience i the use of protective
cultures against Listeria monocytogenes - The time has come to develop active packaging
films with incorporated bacteriocins against
Listeria.
11SUMMARY
- MATFORSK and partners represent a variety of
highly skilled and motivated scientific staff in
the food quality and human health fields - We possess modern and well-equipped laboratories,
e.g. - food microbiology
- food chemistry (incl. FT-IR spectometry and
fluorescens) - packaging
- and pilot plants
- bakery
- fruit and vegetable processing
- meat and seafood processing
- packaging (thermoformer, flow-pack, tray-packer
and vacuum chamber) - fermentation
- dairy processing
- SHALL WE MAKE SOME THRILLING STATE-OF-THE-ART
RESEARCH TOGETHER?
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!