Combinational approaches for antimicrobial packaging: natamycin and nisin

Abstract

Food safety is a global priority and one of the major objectives of the current food legislation. The right combination of strategies for food industrialization including the packaging step, ensures the achievement of that objective. New food products and new industrialization processes impose the need for the development of new packaging materials that assure food protection and that address the changing demands of the food industry and of the consumers. The general perception of the importance of minimizing the environmental damage has catalyzed the exploration of new bio-based packaging materials such as biodegradable and edible films because they are environmental friendly. Additionally, consumer demand for more natural foods has promoted the research about natural antimicrobials like natamycin and nisin.In this chapter, it is reviewed the available information on antimicrobial packaging containing the natural antimicrobials natamycin and nisin simultaneously and, in particular, its antimicrobial effectiveness. According to published and new results evaluated, packaging containing natamycin and nisin is a very efficient strategy to control food contamination. Additionally, the use of biodegradable materials to produce the packaging contributes to environment protection.