These packages include antifungal, antiseptic, bactericidal, edible, anti-adhesive coatings, self-degradable and useful (vitamin-enriched) films. They not only protect products from unwanted external influences and damage, but also improve their presentation, contribute to a longer preservation of quality, and sometimes give new properties.
In recent years, antimicrobial drugs have been used in many countries to protect food from mold and spoilage. They are introduced into protective casings and coatings made using latex technology. To suppress the vital activity of harmful microorganisms, the product is also treated with ozone, ultraviolet or gamma radiation.
There are cellulose ether-based water-borne coatings that can improve product quality. And edible water-soluble membranes based on methylcellulose cover the formed dough. This provides it with resistance to burning, reduces the bale and increases the freshness of the bread.
The latest advance in active packaging is wholesome packaging, so named by the developers themselves, American biotechnologists. They invented a liquid wrapping material for vegetables and fruits, the main components of which are chitosan (a natural polymer obtained from the shell of crabs) and the enzyme lysozyme found in egg white. Outwardly, such packaging resembles a plastic wrap, with the difference that it can be eaten with the product, enriching the body with biologically active additives.