Bioactive Encapsulation in Food Packaging Materials Based on Proteins: Protocols to Verify Their Functionality

Abstract

Active and bioactive food packagings are modern technologies that allow food-package-surrounding environment interaction. While active packaging is designed to modify the condition of packaged food to extend its shelf life or improve its safety or sensory properties, maintaining its quality, bioactive packaging is designed to provoke a direct and positive impact on consumer’s health through the generation of healthier packaged food. In both technologies, active components are encapsulated in the packaging material from where they develop the package functionality. The objective of this chapter was to describe and discuss the protocols used to characterize the distinctive properties of protein materials developed for active and bioactive food packaging, focusing on their antioxidant, antimicrobial, barrier, and delivery properties and their resistance to passage through the gastrointestinal system. Also, some methods to determine the interactions between active compounds and protein matrix were discussed.