Ferrero has filed an international patent for a packaging for food products that reduces the formation of mold and bacteria thanks to natural extracts.
Can packaging “extend” the life of a food product? This is the question Ferrero researchers have tried to answer. The giant of Alba – specialized in the production of chocolate based sweets – has filed a patent for a food packaging that reduces the formation of mold and bacteria thanks to natural extracts. It is a film (film) designed specifically for bakery products but which could also be used for other food products. Thanks to a mix of active elements of natural origin, Ferrero’s patented packaging is able to delay the formation of mold and bacteria, significantly increasing the shelf life of the product. The food wrapped in the new film remained healthy for a period of 80 days, the organoleptic qualities remained intact for 130 days and the weight loss of the product was really minimal (maximum 0.5% of the initial weight).
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Ferrero’s anti-mold and bacteria packaging
Ferrero’s patent is part of active packaging, a very fruitful line of research that combines chemistry and food science to create “active” packaging. In other words: capable of actively contributing to the preservation and improvement of the healthiness of food. To achieve this goal, Ferrero researchers have selected a series of products of natural origin such as Chitosan (which is obtained from shellfish shells), Tea Tree Oil, ethanol and essential oils of cinnamon, thyme and lemon. These extracts were inserted, as components, in the starting polymer with which the packaging was made. The tests conducted gave very positive results. The packaging proved capable of “substantially delaying the proliferation of bacteria, fungi and moulds in bakery products characterized by a good dose of moisture, while maintaining the correct organoleptic parameters over time, whether it is in direct contact with the packaging or there is a space for food and packaging“.
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