ABSTRACT
Consumer demand and market trends for more convenient, safer, and longer storage products with low preservative contents are increasing. In this context, preservation of raw or fresh-cut fruits and vegetables constitutes one of the most challenging applications: They are respiring produce and must remain living all along the distribution chain. Lowering respiration is the key element to delay physiological and biochemical changes and consequently increase shelf life. These changes go also with microbial spoilage and are emphasized by minimal processing such as cutting, stoning, or peeling. Though sanitation methods (as chlorine washes) are commonly employed, they are not totally effective because microorganisms can locate in subsurface structures of produces and then survive (Takeuchi and Frank 2000; Burnett and Beuchat 2001). Common preserving processes (such as thermal treatments) or additions of preservative agents (except ascorbic or citric acid that might be incorporated into washing water) are not adapted to these fragile products. Then there is an obvious opportunity for the food packaging industry to develop innovative solutions that fulfilled this type of food requirements to prolong its shelf life while maintaining its quality and safety. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) of fresh food is the fastest-growing sector, with an average annual growth rate of 13.6% over the last 5 years, and will continue to grow due to research and development (R&D) and legislative efforts on modern concepts of active packaging. These packaging concepts deliberately incorporate active agents intended to release or to absorb substances into, onto, or from the packaged food or the environment surrounding the food. Active system leaders for MAP applications include oxygen scavengers, ethylene absorbers/removers, and moisture controllers (Brody et al. 2001). From pad or sachet that was associated to package, new trends are now to directly incorporate active agent onto or into the material and mainly concern antimicrobial packaging that can release volatile antimicrobial agents for MAP applications (Appendini and Hotchkiss 2002; Suppakul et al. 2003).
