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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2024 | Viewed by 17646

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lidia Stasiak-Różańska

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Guest Editor

Division of Milk Technology, Department of Food Technology and Assessment, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159C St., 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: food microbiology; foodborne pathogens; utilization; fermentation; antimicrobial activity; bacterial cellulose; acetic bacteria; lactic bacteria; dairy industry; industrial waste; microbial polymers; nanocellulose; microbial cellulose; probiotics; essential oils; food technology
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Prof. Dr. Antoni Stanisław Pluta

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Co-Guest Editor

Division of Milk Technology, Department of Food Technology and Assessment, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159C Street, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: food technology; dairy industry; lactic acid bacteria; industrial waste; microbial polymers; fermentation; probiotics; exopolysaccharides
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Dr. Anna Berthold-Pluta

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Co-Guest Editor

Division of Milk Technology, Department of Food Technology and Assessment, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159C Street, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: food technology; food microbiology; dairy industry; foodborne pathogens; antimicrobial activity; lactic acid bacteria; microbial polymers; probiotics; exopolysaccharides; essential oils
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Dr. Monika Garbowska

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Co-Guest Editor

Division of Milk Technology, Department of Food Technology and Assessment, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159C Street, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: food technology; dairy industry; lactic acid bacteria; microbial polymers; bioactive compounds; food microbiology; biogenic amines
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymers produced by microorganisms are finding more and more applications in the production of food and food packaging. Recently, one of the most popular biopolymers, and one of the most recognized, is bacterial cellulose. This biopolymer is characterized by high purity, extensibility, and resistance to mechanical damage, and it is non-toxic and safe to use. Bacterial cellulose has so far been used, among others, in medicine (as artificial skin, material for artificial organs, wound dressing) and in the food industry (as a stabilizer, fat replacement compound).

Many biopolymers, after soaking (e.g., with active substances such as essential oils and/or plant extracts) can exhibit antimicrobial activity that can be used in the production of biodegradable eco-friendly active food packages.

In this Special Issue, we encourage authors to share their experiences in the field of the broadly understood “Polymers in Food Technology and Food Packaging”. We believe that your work will contribute to popularizing the use of the potential of polymers in the food industry.

Dr. Lidia Stasiak-Różańska
Prof. Dr. Antoni Stanisław Pluta
Dr. Anna Berthold-Pluta
Dr. Monika Garbowska
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

food technology
food industry
food package
edible packaging
edible films
biodegradable
industrial wastes
essential oils
antimicrobial properties
bacterial cellulose
microbial polymers
biopolymers
health-promoting polymers
bacterial exopolysaccharides

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 3280 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chitosan-Enhanced pH-Sensitive Anthocyanin Indicator Film for the Accurate Monitoring of Mutton Freshness

by Yanli Ma, Lei Wen, Yaobo Liu, Pengfei Du, Peng Hu, Jianfang Cao and Weiting Wang

Polymers 2024, 16(6), 849; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16060849 - 20 Mar 2024

Viewed by 553

Abstract

Natural anthocyanin indicator films with an excellent pH response enable the visual assessment of meat freshness. In this investigation, chitosan was initially employed as a colorimetric enhancer, leading to the development of a pH-sensitive indicator film that was enhanced in colorimetry. The characteristics of this indicator film were thoroughly analyzed, and the mechanism responsible for the increased sensitivity of anthocyanin within the chitosan matrix, as indicated by the color response, was elucidated. The recrystallization of chitosan impeded the hydration of AH⁺ as the pH increased from 6.0 to 8.0, leading to distinct color changes. Moreover, the application of this indicator film was extended to the monitoring of mutton meat freshness. It facilitated the differentiation of mutton meat into three distinct stages, namely, fresh, sub-fresh, and spoiled, based on alterations in color. Additionally, a robust positive correlation was established between the color difference value of the indicator film and the total volatile basic nitrogen and bacterial count of the mutton meat, enabling quantitative analysis. The present study, therefore, demonstrated a novel function of chitosan, i.e., the enhancement of the color of anthocyanin, which could be useful in designing and fabricating indicator films with a high color response. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Technology and Food Packaging)

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14 pages, 3623 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Improvement of Natural Polymeric Films Properties by Blend Formulation for Sustainable Active Food Packaging

by Emanuela Drago, Roberta Campardelli, Alberto Lagazzo, Giuseppe Firpo and Patrizia Perego

Polymers 2023, 15(9), 2231; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15092231 - 08 May 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2438

Abstract

Active packaging manufactured with biopolymers extracted from agri-food waste is one of the most innovative and eco-sustainable strategies for maintaining food quality. However, biopolymers often present poor performances, which hinders their competitiveness compared with plastics. This work focused on developing and optimizing a natural polymeric blend produced by solvent casting based on zein and chitosan to improve the pure biopolymers’ properties. The best results were obtained by blending zein and chitosan in a 1:2 weight ratio. The films were characterized in terms of morphology, mechanical and oxygen barrier properties, thermal stability, transparency and wettability. The blend production allowed us to obtain lower brittleness and lower stiffness materials compared with pure polymer films, with oxygen permeability values two orders of magnitude lower than pure zein, better optical properties with respect to pure chitosan and good thermal stability. The wettability properties of the blend did not result in being altered with respect to the single polymer, which was found to have hydrophilic behavior, highlighting the strong influence of glycerol used as a plasticizer. The results suggested that the polymer blending strategy is a viable and cost-effective method for producing packaging materials as alternatives to plastics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Technology and Food Packaging)

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19 pages, 3232 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bio-Nanocomposite Based on Edible Gelatin Film as Active Packaging from Clarias gariepinus Fish Skin with the Addition of Cellulose Nanocrystalline and Nanopropolis

by Ratna, Sri Aprilia, Nasrul Arahman, Muhammad Roil Bilad, Hazwani Suhaimi, Agus Arip Munawar and Indera Sakti Nasution

Polymers 2022, 14(18), 3738; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14183738 - 07 Sep 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2052

Abstract

This study develops bio-nano composite gelatin-based edible film (NEF) by combining nanogelatin, cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), and nanopropolis (NP) fillers to improve the resulting film characteristics. The NEF was characterized in terms of thickness, swelling, pH, water content, solubility, vapor and oxygen permeability, mechanical properties, heat resistance, morphology, transparency, and color. The results showed that the thickness and swelling increased significantly, whilst the pH did not significantly differ in each treatment. The water content and the water solubility also showed no significant changes with loadings of both fillers. At the same time, vapor and oxygen permeability decreased with addition of the fillers but were not significantly affected by the loading amounts. The heat resistance properties increased with the filler addition. Tensile strength and Young’s modulus increased for the films loaded with >3% CNC. The elongation at break showed a significant difference together with transparency and color change. The greater the CNC concentration and NP loading were, the darker the resulting transparency and the color of the NEF. Overall results show a considerable improvement in the properties of the resulting NEFs with the incorporation of CNC and NP fillers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Technology and Food Packaging)

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12 pages, 1110 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of Potential Migrants in Polyethylene Terephthalate Samples of Ecuadorian Market

by Karina Marín-Morocho, Sandra Domenek and Rómulo Salazar

Polymers 2021, 13(21), 3769; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13213769 - 31 Oct 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3467

Abstract

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the plastic packaging material most widely used to produce bottles intended for contact with food and beverages. However, PET is not inert, and therefore, some chemical compounds present in PET could migrate to food or beverages in contact, leading to safety issues. To evaluate the safety of PET samples, the identification of potential migrants is required. In this work, eight PET samples obtained from the Ecuadorian market at different phases of processing were studied using a well-known methodology based on a solvent extraction followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis and overall migration test. Several chemical compounds were identified and categorized as lubricants (carboxylic acids with chain length of C12 to C18), plasticizers (triethyl phosphate, diethyl phthalate), thermal degradation products (p-xylene, benzaldehyde, benzoic acid), antioxidant degradation products (from Irgafos 168 and Irganox), and recycling indicator compounds (limonene, benzophenone, alkanes, and aldehydes). Additionally, overall migration experiments were performed in PET bottles, resulting in values lower than the overall migration limit (10 mg/dm²); however, the presence of some compounds identified in the samples could be related to contamination during manufacturing or to the use of recycled PET-contaminated flakes. In this context, the results obtained in this study could be of great significance to the safety evaluation of PET samples in Ecuador and would allow analyzing the PET recycling processes and avoiding contamination by PET flakes from nonfood containers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Technology and Food Packaging)

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13 pages, 5639 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Properties and Application of Edible Modified Bacterial Cellulose Film Based Sago Liquid Waste as Food Packaging

by Nur Arfa Yanti, Sitti Wirdhana Ahmad, La Ode Ahmad Nur Ramadhan, Jamili, Muzuni, Taufik Walhidayah and Jendri Mamangkey

Polymers 2021, 13(20), 3570; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13203570 - 16 Oct 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3009

Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC) based on sago liquid waste has been developed to be used as food packaging. This study investigated the physicochemical and mechanical properties of modified BC film and its application as food packaging. The modified BC film performed carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a stabilizer and glycerol as a plasticizer. Films were prepared by casting technique using BC as the primary material and composites with various concentrations of CMC and glycerol (0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%, v/v). BC film was applied as the packaging of meat sausage, and the quality of meat sausage was measured based on weight loss, moisture content, pH, protein content, and total microbial count. The addition of CMC and glycerol influences the physical and mechanical properties of BC composites film. The best mechanical properties of edible BC film were collected by adding 1% CMC and 1% glycerol with a tensile strength of 17.47 MPa, elongation at a break of 25.60%, and Young’s modulus of 6.54 GPa. FTIR analysis showed the characteristic bands of BC, and the addition of CMC and glycerol slightly changed the FTIR spectrum of the composites. The utilization of modified BC-based sago liquid waste film as the packaging of meat sausage could maintain sausage quality during 6 days of storage at room temperature. Therefore, edible BC film has the potential to be used as food packaging. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Technology and Food Packaging)

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15 pages, 2185 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cellulose Nanocrystals Reinforced Zein/Catechin/β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complex Nanoparticles Nanocomposite Film for Active Food Packaging

by Longwei Jiang, Yanlong Han, Xiangyi Meng, Yawen Xiao and Huajiang Zhang

Polymers 2021, 13(16), 2759; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13162759 - 17 Aug 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2595

Abstract

In this study, following the green, environmentally friendly and sustainable development strategy, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were prepared through a solvent-free esterification reaction between microcrystalline cellulose and maleic anhydride, combined with subsequent ultrasonic treatment, and maleic-anhydride-modified CNC-reinforced zein/catechin/β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex nanoparticles nanocomposite films were prepared by a facile solution casting. The amount of CNCs in the film matrix was 0–8 wt%, and their effect on structural, physicochemical and functional properties of the resulting films were investigated. SEM images showed that the addition of CNCs made the microstructure of the film more smooth and uniform. The intermolecular hydrogen bonds between CNCs and film matrix were supported by FT-IR. XRD analysis also confirmed the appearance of a crystalline peak due to the existence of CNCs inside the films. The incorporation of CNCs significantly reduced water vapor permeability, water solubility and the swelling degree of the nanocomposite film, and also significantly increased tensile strength and elongation at break from 12.66 to 37.82 MPa and 4.5% to 5.2% (p < 0.05). Moreover, nanocomposite film packaging with CNCs can effectively inhibit the oxidation of soybean oil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Technology and Food Packaging)

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18 pages, 2782 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Active Coatings Containing Lippa citriodora Kunth. Essential Oil on Bacterial Diversity and Myofibrillar Proteins Degradation in Refrigerated Large Yellow Croaker

by Bo Li, Xuesong Wang, Xin Gao, Jun Mei and Jing Xie

Polymers 2021, 13(11), 1787; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13111787 - 28 May 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2340

Abstract

The research evaluated the effects of locust bean gum (LBG) and sodium alginate (SA) active coatings containing 0.15, 0.30 or 0.60% lemon verbena (Lippa citriodora Kunth.) essential oil (LVEO) on the bacterial diversity and myofibrillar proteins (MPs) of large yellow croaker during refrigerated storage at 4 °C for 18 days. Variability in the dominant bacterial community in different samples on the 0, 9th and 18th day was observed. Pseudomonas and Shewanella were the two major genera identified during refrigerated storage. At the beginning, the richness of Pseudomonas was about 37.31% and increased for control (CK) samples during refrigerated storage, however, the LVEO-treated samples increased sharply from day 0 to the 9th day and then decreased. LBG-SA coatings containing LVEO treatments significantly delayed MPs oxidation by retarding the formation of free carbonyl compounds and maintaining higher sulfhydryl content, higher Ca²⁺-ATPase activity, better organized secondary (higher contents of α-helix and β-sheet) and tertiary structures during refrigerated storage. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) images showed that the integrity of the sarcomere was damaged; the boundaries of the H-, A-, and I-bands, Z-disk, and M-line were fuzzy in the CK samples at the end of storage. However, the LVEO-treated samples were still regular in appearance with distinct dark A-bands, light I-bands, and Z-disk. In brief, LBG-SA active coatings containing LVEO treatments suggested a feasible method for protecting the MPs of large yellow croaker during refrigerated storage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Technology and Food Packaging)

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