Meat+Poultry - August 2017 - 71

Paper is a BIG
part of your
quality product.
"The objective is to modify packaging into
intelligent packaging," he said.
Examples of how nanotechnology has
been used in packaging include reduction of
moisture absorption, antimicrobial coatings,
time-temperature indicators to show the range
of temperatures a package has endured over a
shown period of time and freshness indicators.
He devoted much of his discussion to
concerns about the safety of nanotechnology,
using hazard times exposure as a definition
of risk.
Compounds already used for nano particles
include gold, silver, zinc oxide, iron oxide,
titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide. The
technology has been used internationally in a
range of food for decades.
Chen cited an extensive New Zealand study
on the safety of nanotechnology that showed
no evidence of a health risk. He noted another
study showing that migration of particles from
nanotechnology solutions into food occurs at
levels far below legal limits.
"Nanotechnology should be fully exploited
for enhancing food safety, quality, sensory
attributes and improving human health," he said.
Following Chen was a presentation by
Tony Jin, a research food technologist with
USDA's advanced nonthermal processing and
packaging technologies unit.
He noted that along the path from food
to table come multiple steps that can lead to
contamination.
Microbial contamination usually begins
on a food's surface, Jin said, and many foods
are consumed with no kill step. He described
antimicrobial packaging as a "final defense."
The way nanotechnology is used includes
coating food, food wrap or coated packaging.
Certain edible substances may be used to carry
nano particles, including pectin, cellulose
and gelatin. Possible materials for this kind
of technology include zinc oxide, which has
GRAS status and has been shown to kill E. coli
and Salmonella. Magnesium oxide is another
possibility, but Jin acknowledged that concerns
persist about the technology.
Still, he is hopeful.
"Food packaging with nanotechnology
can extend food shelf life and reduce food
waste," he said. "It has the potential to impact
many aspects of food processing and food
packaging."

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"The objective
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- HONGDA CHEN

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Meat+Poultry - August 2017

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