Ion Sequestering Active Packaging Materials

In food and other consumer products, metal ions lead to a degradative reactions like oxidation, which can negatively impact consumer goods, leading to shortened shelf life, loss of color intensity, generation of unpleasant flavors and odors, nutritent loss. Moreover, oxidation reactions can compromise bioactive ingredients in cosmetic products. To address this problem, multiple approaches are used: synthetic and natural additives, free radical scavengers in packaging materials, and oxygen absorbing sachets. However, each approach has drawbacks. For example, metal chelators and synthetic antioxidants as food additives prohibit “all natural” package labelling, while natural free radical scavengers as food additives can be expensive and unstable. Bulk material properties can be adversely impacted with embedded free radical scavengers, and oxygen absorbing sachets require complex packaging equipment and are ill-suited for liquids.

This technology is a novel ion sequestering active packaging material to prevent degradative reactions in foods, beverages and other consumer products. Specifically, chelating moieties are covalently attached to polymer materials (e.g. films, sheets) to impart chelating functionality.

These grafted polymers are part of the packaging material, thereby keeping synthetic additives out of food and consumer products and allowing manufacturers to make “all natural” product claims.

TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION

ADVANTAGES

• Cost effective
• Keeps synthetic additives out of products
• Enables “all natural” claims

APPLICATIONS

Food, Beverage, Consumer Product Packaging

ABOUT THE INVENTOR

Dr. Julie M. Goddard is a faculty member in the Department of Food Science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Dr. Goddard worked at Kraft Foods as a research engineer prior to earning her Ph.D. in Food Science from Cornell University.

AVAILABILITY:

Available for Licensing and/or Sponsored Research

DOCKET:

UMA 12-02

PATENT STATUS:

Patent Pending

NON-CONFIDENTIAL INVENTION DISCLOSURE

LEAD INVENTOR:

Julie M. Goddard, Ph.D.

CONTACT:

In food and other consumer products, metal ions lead to a degradative reactions like oxidation, which can negatively impact consumer goods, leading to shortened shelf life, loss of color intensity, generation of unpleasant flavors and odors, nutritent loss. Moreover, oxidation reactions can compromise bioactive ingredients in cosmetic products. To address this problem, multiple approaches are used: synthetic and natural additives, free radical scavengers in packaging materials, and oxygen absorbing sachets. However, each approach has drawbacks. For example, metal chelators and synthetic antioxidants as food additives prohibit “all natural” package labelling, while natural free radical scavengers as food additives can be expensive and unstable. Bulk material properties can be adversely impacted with embedded free radical scavengers, and oxygen absorbing sachets require complex packaging equipment and are ill-suited for liquids.

This technology is a novel ion sequestering active packaging material to prevent degradative reactions in foods, beverages and other consumer products. Specifically, chelating moieties are covalently attached to polymer materials (e.g. films, sheets) to impart chelating functionality.

These grafted polymers are part of the packaging material, thereby keeping synthetic additives out of food and consumer products and allowing manufacturers to make “all natural” product claims.