Erze Ambalaj innovates with antimicrobial packaging
Erze Ambalaj produces around 15m food trays per day and is Turkey’s largest expanding foam packaging outfit. They’ve teamed up with Dutch biochemistry start-up Parx Plastics to develop antimicrobial packaging that can reduce salmonella, listeria E.Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus in meat packaging.
It’s currently being tested with lamb meat and tuna steaks and the results are “promising", according to Parx Plastics Co-found Michael Van Der Jagt.
In addition to contamination reduction, the packaging solution helps prolong product shelf life. This is achieved through a complicated science of bio-mimicry with a trace element added to the foam packaging to “prevent bacteria from proliferating”, explained Van Der Jagt.
“What is important is that we’re using harmless substances in the process. We add the trace element that you and I both need in our diets to stay healthy,” he added.
One area that antimicrobial packaging could prove to be beneficial is with poultry. In the UK, chicken bacteria was found on the exterior of packaging, according to Van Der Jagt. This, he said, is because the bacteria is airborne and can be found in locations where chicken meat is processed. The danger here is “cross-contamination” of products.
The Parx Plastics co-founder explained the use of the advanced packaging reduces bacteria on food products by 97%, when compared to normal packaging over a 24-hour period.
The study also demonstrated increased resistance to Listeria (92.5%), Salmonella (96%) and Staphylococcus Aureus (96.5%).
The study was conducted by the University of Ferrara in Italy. Erze Ambalaj’s packaging was tested against the International Organisation of Standards (ISO) measurement of antibacterial activity on plastics – known as ISO 22196:2011.
Van Der Jagt concluded by saying: “By reducing the presence of bacteria after the manufacturing of the packaging material; during the transport of the packaging material; during packaging of the food and during the shelf life period of the product, the ultimate conditions are created to prevent contamination and to have the best possible shelf life for the product”.
