Utilization of Cocoa Bean Shell as a Paper-Based Food Packaging and a Method to Improve Surface Hydrophobicity

Abstract As over exposure of the earth to ultraviolet (UV) light and increased amount of petroleum-based plastic waste, biodegradable UV-blocking materials are desired for diverse sustainable applications. Xylose residue, as the byproduct of xylitol production from corn cobs, is mainly composed of cellulose and lignin. Here, we develop a series of xylose residue films through a top-down approach (i.e., tunable delignification and regeneration) without any additional additives. The treated xylose residues with lignin content of 4.4-29.7% are used to prepare regenerated films, which exhibit excellent UV-blocking capability: 68.6-99.2% for UVB (290-320 nm) and 47.1-98.2% for UVA (320-400 nm). Moreover, these films remain a great optical transparency (50.6-86.6%) and show enhanced water vapor permeability (2.17-2.76 ×10-11 g·cm·cm-2·s-1·mmHg-1), surface hydrophobicity (water contact angle=72.3-86.4°), and thermal stability. Overall, our sustainable UV-blocking films have potential applications in the fields of electronics, food packaging, and windshields, etc. This study provides new insights into converting xylose residue directly to high value-added functional bioproducts.

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High-Throughput Fabrication of Antibacterial Starch/PBAT/AgNPs@SiO2 Films for Food Packaging

Nanomaterials ◽

10.3390/nano11113062 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 3062

Author(s):

Shengxue Zhou ◽

Xiaosong Zhai ◽

Rui Zhang ◽

Wentao Wang ◽

Loong-Tak Lim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Throughput ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Composite Films ◽

Barrier Properties ◽

Production Method ◽

Antibacterial Activities ◽

Surface Hydrophobicity ◽

Commercial Application ◽

Packaging Materials ◽

Escherichia Coli Bacteria

In this current work, antimicrobial films based on starch, poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), and a commercially available AgNPs@SiO2 antibacterial composite particle product were produced by using a melt blending and blowing technique. The effects of AgNPs@SiO2 at various loadings (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 wt%) on the physicochemical properties and antibacterial activities of starch/PBAT composite films were investigated. AgNPs@SiO2 particles were more compatible with starch than PBAT, resulting in preferential distribution of AgNPs@SiO2 in the starch phase. Infusion of starch/PBAT composite films with AgNPs@SiO2 marginally improved mechanical and water vapor barrier properties, while surface hydrophobicity increased as compared with films without AgNPs@SiO2. The composite films displayed superior antibacterial activities against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. The sample loaded with 1 wt% AgNPs@SiO2 (SPA-1) showed nearly 90% inhibition efficiency on the tested microorganisms. Furthermore, a preliminary study on peach and nectarine at 53% RH and 24 °C revealed that SPA-1 film inhibited microbial spoilage and extended the product shelf life as compared with SPA-0 and commercial LDPE packaging materials. The high-throughput production method and strong antibacterial activities of the starch/PBAT/AgNPs@SiO2 composite films make them promising as antimicrobial packaging materials for commercial application.

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Development of Chitosan/Peptide Films: Physical, Antibacterial and Antioxidant Properties

Coatings ◽

10.3390/coatings10121193 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1193

Author(s):

Chen Li ◽

Jiliu Pei ◽

Shengyu Zhu ◽

Yukang Song ◽

Xiaohui Xiong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Packaging ◽

Radical Scavenging Activity ◽

Antioxidant Properties ◽

Radical Scavenging ◽

Barrier Properties ◽

Surface Hydrophobicity ◽

Elongation At Break ◽

Chitosan Films ◽

Dpph Scavenging

Chitosan/peptide films were prepared by incorporating peptides (0.4%, w/v) from soy, corn and caseins into chitosan films. The presence of peptides significantly affected the physical, antibacterial and antioxidative properties of chitosan films. Among these films, those containing corn peptide showed the best water vapor barrier properties, and the tensile strength and elongation at break increased to 24.80 Mpa and 23.94%, respectively. Characterization of surface hydrophobicity and thermal stability suggested the strongest intermolecular interactions between corn peptides and chitosan. Moreover, films containing casein peptides showed the highest antibacterial activity and radical scavenging activity. The DPPH scavenging rate of films containing casein peptides reached 46.11%, and ABTS scavenging rate reached 66.79%. These results indicate the chitosan/peptide films may be promising food packaging materials.

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Coffee By-Products and Their Suitability for Developing Active Food Packaging Materials

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10030683 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 683

Author(s):

Gonçalo Oliveira ◽

Cláudia P. Passos ◽

Paula Ferreira ◽

Manuel A. Coimbra ◽

Idalina Gonçalves

Keyword(s):

Food Packaging ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Surface Hydrophobicity ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

Mechanical Resistance ◽

Spent Coffee Grounds ◽

Plastic Materials ◽

Active Food Packaging ◽

Coffee Grounds ◽

By Products

The coffee industry generates a wide variety of by-products derived from green coffee processing (pulp, mucilage, parchment, and husk) and roasting (silverskin and spent coffee grounds). All these fractions are simply discarded, despite their high potential value. Given their polysaccharide-rich composition, along with a significant number of other active biomolecules, coffee by-products are being considered for use in the production of plastics, in line with the notion of the circular economy. This review highlights the chemical composition of coffee by-products and their fractionation, evaluating their potential for use either as polymeric matrices or additives for developing plastic materials. Coffee by-product-derived molecules can confer antioxidant and antimicrobial activities upon plastic materials, as well as surface hydrophobicity, gas impermeability, and increased mechanical resistance, suitable for the development of active food packaging. Overall, this review aims to identify sustainable and eco-friendly strategies for valorizing coffee by-products while offering suitable raw materials for biodegradable plastic formulations, emphasizing their application in the food packaging sector.

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A Comparative Analysis on the Effect of Variety of Grape Pomace Extracts on the Ice-Templated 3D Cryogel Features

Gels ◽

10.3390/gels7030076 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 76

Author(s):

Irina Elena Raschip ◽

Nicusor Fifere ◽

Maria Valentina Dinu

Keyword(s):

Contact Angle ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Radical Scavenging ◽

Surface Hydrophobicity ◽

Grape Pomace ◽

Total Phenolic ◽

Water Contact ◽

Static Water ◽

Highly Hydrophobic ◽

Water Swelling

Nowadays, there is a growing interest in developing functional packaging materials from renewable resources containing bioactive compounds (such as polyphenols) in order to reduce the use of petroleum-based plastics and their impact on the environment. In this regard, the effect of a variety and concentration of grape pomace extracts (Feteasca Neagra or Merlot) incorporated within ice-templated 3D xanthan-based composites was evaluated by considering their water content, surface and texture properties, radical scavenging and microbiological activities. The embedding of Feteasca Neagra or Merlot grape pomace extracts was studied by static water swelling and contact angle measurements, and SEM, EDX, and TGA analyses. The water contact angle results showed an increase in the surface hydrophobicity of the extract-loaded cryogels with an increase in extract content from 10 to 40 v/v%. SEM micrographs indicated that the entrapment of grape pomace extracts affected the morphology of the pore walls and reduced the pore sizes. The antioxidant activity of grape pomace extract-loaded composite cryogels was closely related to the total phenolic content of grape variety and to their concentration into matrices. The highly hydrophobic character of composite cryogels containing Merlot grape pomace extract and their remarkable antimicrobial activity indicates a great potential of these materials for food packaging applications.

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Mechanical, Barrier, Adhesion and Antibacterial Properties of Pullulan / Graphene Bio Nanocomposite Coating on Spray Coated Nanocellulose Film for Food Packaging Applications

10.21203/rs.3.rs-660354/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ragavanantham Shanmugam ◽

Vishnuvarthanan Mayakrishnan ◽

Radhakrishnan Kesavan ◽

Kirubanandan Shanmugam ◽

Subha Veeramani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Packaging ◽

Transmission Rate ◽

Research Work ◽

Antibacterial Properties ◽

Surface Hydrophobicity ◽

Nanocomposite Coating ◽

Oxygen Transmission Rate ◽

Graphene Nanoparticles ◽

Nanocellulose Film ◽

Mechanical Barrier

Abstract In this study, an environmentally friendly and biodegradable pullulan/graphene bio nanocomposite was prepared and coated on the nanocellulose film to improve the surface, mechanical, barrier and antibacterial properties. The nanocellulose films were prepared by using a spray coating of nanocellulose suspension on stainless steel plates. The graphene nanoparticles were prepared by the modified Hummers method. The pullulan/graphene bio nanocomposites were prepared by solvent method with the addition of various wt% (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2) of graphene with pullulan. The coating was carried out by the roller coating method. Results showed that the increased graphene nanoparticles in pullulan coating increased the opacity, surface hydrophobicity, tensile strength, oxygen transmission rate and watervapour transmission rate of the coated nanocellulose film. Also, the coated film showed excellent antibacterial properties against both gram-negative E.coli and gram-positive S.aureus. In this research work, it was concluded that the graphene nanoparticles of 0.2 wt% showed efficient results. The exceptional properties of the pullulan/graphene bio nanocomposite coating on the nanocellulose film will give a new pathway to high performance food packaging applications.

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Superhydrophobic Bio-Coating Made by Co-Continuous Electrospinning and Electrospraying on Polyethylene Terephthalate Films Proposed as Easy Emptying Transparent Food Packaging

Coatings ◽

10.3390/coatings8100364 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (10) ◽

pp. 364 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Maria Pardo-Figuerez ◽

Alex López-Córdoba ◽

Sergio Torres-Giner ◽

José Lagaron

Keyword(s):

Contact Angle ◽

Polyethylene Terephthalate ◽

Water Contact Angle ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Functional Performance ◽

Surface Hydrophobicity ◽

Sliding Angle ◽

Water Contact ◽

Pet Films ◽

Pet Substrate

Interest in coated films with micro/nanofeatures has grown rapidly in recent years due to their enhanced functional performance and better durability under demanding contact conditions or aggressive environments. In the current work, it is reported a one-step co-continuous bilayer coating process to generate a multilayer film that rendered superhydrophobicity to a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. A continuous coating based on ultrathin polylactide (PLA) fibers was deposited onto PET films by means of electrospinning, which increased the water contact angle of the substrate. Sequentially, nanostructured silica (SiO2) microparticles were electrosprayed onto the coated PET/PLA films to achieve superhydrophobic behavior. This multilayer was then treated at different annealing temperatures, that is, 150 °C, 160 °C, and 170 °C, in order to create interlayers’ adhesion to each other and to the substrate. It was found that co-continuous deposition of PLA fibers and nanostructured SiO2 microparticles onto PET films constituted a useful strategy to increase the surface hydrophobicity of the PET substrate, achieving an optimal apparent water contact angle of 170° and a sliding angle of 6°. Unfortunately, a reduction in background transparency was observed compared to the uncoated PET film, especially after electrospraying of the SiO2 microparticles but the films were seen to have a good contact transparency. The materials developed show significant potential in easy emptying transparent food packaging applications.

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Gas chromatographic determination of calcium stearate in polyethylene food packaging sheets

Journal of Chromatography A ◽

10.1016/s0021-9673(01)91471-2 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 447 (3) ◽

pp. 198-201 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

S Tan

Keyword(s):

Food Packaging ◽

Chromatographic Determination ◽

Calcium Stearate

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Macho Nachos

Social Psychology ◽

10.1027/1864-9335/a000226 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 182-196 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Luke (Lei) Zhu ◽

Victoria L. Brescoll ◽

George E. Newman ◽

Eric Luis Uhlmann

Keyword(s):

Gender Stereotypes ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Food Preferences ◽

Healthy Food ◽

Psychological Reactance ◽

Unhealthy Food ◽

Healthy Foods ◽

Gender Schema ◽

Male And Female ◽

Schema Congruity

Abstract. The present studies examine how culturally held stereotypes about gender (that women eat more healthfully than men) implicitly influence food preferences. In Study 1, priming masculinity led both male and female participants to prefer unhealthy foods, while priming femininity led both male and female participants to prefer healthy foods. Study 2 extended these effects to gendered food packaging. When the packaging and healthiness of the food were gender schema congruent (i.e., feminine packaging for a healthy food, masculine packaging for an unhealthy food) both male and female participants rated the product as more attractive, said that they would be more likely to purchase it, and even rated it as tasting better compared to when the product was stereotype incongruent. In Study 3, packaging that explicitly appealed to gender stereotypes (“The muffin for real men”) reversed the schema congruity effect, but only among participants who scored high in psychological reactance.

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