Effects of flavour absorption on foods and their packaging materials

Keywords: flavour absorption, scalping, packaging, food matrix, lldpe, ldpe, pp, pc, pet, pen,b-lactoglobulin, casein, pectin, cmc, lactose, saccharose, oil, modelling, storage, oxygen permeability, taste perception, sensory quality.Absorption of flavour compounds by linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) was studied in model systems representing differences in composition of the food matrix. Proteins,b-lactoglobuline and casein, were able to bind flavours, resulting in suppression of absorption of flavour compounds. Polysaccharides, pectin and carboxymethylcellulose, increased viscosity, and consequently decreased absorption. Disaccharides, lactose and saccharose, increased absorption, probably caused by a "salting out" effect of less apolar flavour compounds. The presence of a relative small amount of oil (50 g/l) decreased absorption substantially. Combined oily model systems, oil/casein and oil/pectin, showed a similar effect. The extent of absorption of flavour compounds by LLDPE was influenced by food components in the order: oil or fat &gt;&gt; polysaccharides and proteins &gt; disaccharides. A model based on the effect of the polarity (log P) of flavour compounds and on their partitioning coefficients between food(matrix) and packaging material was developed. The model is able to predict absorption of flavour compounds from foods into LLDPE when lipids in the food matrix are the determining factor in flavour absorption. Results show that the model fits nicely with experimental data of real foods skim and whole milk.LLDPE, polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET film and PET bottle) and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) were immersed in a model flavour solution at different temperatures up to 14 days. The absorption rate and/or total amount of absorbed compounds increased considerably with increasing temperature. Depending on temperature, the total absorption of flavour compounds by the polyolefins (LLDPE and PP) was up to 2400 times higher than by the polyesters (PC, PET and PEN).The effect of absorbed flavour compounds on the oxygen permeability of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), PP, PC and PET was studied. Due to swelling of the polymers as a result of absorption of flavour compounds, LDPE and PP showed a significant increase of oxygen permeability of 21% and 130%. The oxygen permeability of PC showed a significant decrease of 11% due to occupation or blockage of the "micro-cavities" by the absorbed flavour compounds. Flavour absorption by PET did not affect the oxygen permeability significantly.The influence of flavour absorption LDPE, PC and PET on the taste perception of a flavour model solution and orange juice stored in glass bottles was studied with and without pieces of the respective plastic films. Although the content of flavour compounds between controls and polymer treated samples decreased substantially due to absorption, no significant effect on the taste perception of the model solution and orange juice were observed by triangular taste panel tests.</font

Influence of food matrix on absorption of flavour compounds by linear low-density polyethylene: proteins and carbohydrates

The influence of oil and food components in real food products on the absorption of four flavour compounds (limonene, decanal, linalool and ethyl 2-methyl butyrate) into linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) was studied using a large volume injection GC in vial extraction method. Model food systems and real food products investigated included oil/water emulsions, oil/casein models, oil/pectin models, skim milk and whole milk. A small amount of oil (50 g l-1) had a major influence on the amount of flavour absorption. Because of solubilization of the more apolar flavour compounds limonene, decanal and linalool into the oily phase, only the remaining flavour compounds in the aqueous phase were available for absorption by LLDPE. After 14 days of exposure, absorption of limonene and decanal decreased by 97°and that of linalool by 86ÐDue to a salting out effect, absorption of the less apolar ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (E2MB) first increased with increasing oil concentration, but decreased at higher oil concentrations (>2.5 g l-1). Oil/casein and oil/pectin models showed that the more apolar flavour compounds were mainly dissolved in the oily phase and that the compounds present in the aqueous phase could interact with casein or pectin. Oil influenced the level of flavour absorption by LLDPE to a much greater extent than pectin or casein. However, the low amount of fat (1.11 g l-1) in skim milk had no influence on the absorption of flavour compounds. Only the proteins in skim milk (especially casein) decreased the absorption of limonene and decanal, because the fat was probably entrapped. Whole milk, which contained a higher concentration of (free) fat, suppressed the absorption of all flavour compounds by LLDPE to the same extent as was found for the oil model solutions. In general, absorption results from skim milk and whole milk were in good agreement with the results of the investigated model solutions containing individual food components

Modelling the effect of oil/fat content in food systems on flavour absorption by LLDPE.

One of the phenomena in food packaging interactions is flavour absorption. Absorption of flavour compounds from food products into food-packaging materials can result in loss of flavour compounds or an unbalance in the flavour profile changing a product's quality. The food matrix influences the amounts of absorbed flavour compounds; the presence of oil or fat especially determines the ability to absorb flavour compounds from the food to the package. On the other hand, the polarity of the flavour compound itself is a characteristic that also influences the level of absorption into synthetic polymers. A model based on the effect of the polarity (log P) of flavour compounds and on their partitioning coefficients between the food (matrix) and the packaging material is described. The model can be used for predicting absorption of flavour compounds from foods into LLDPE. However, an attempt to apply the proposed model on real foods shows serious limitations of the model for (very) low fat products. Predictive values deviate from the measured values, probably due to other interaction phenomena, e.g. with proteins. Predictive and measured values from a product with a substantial amount of fat match much better, suggesting that the model is valid for products having a substantial amount of (free) fat

Influence of flavour absorption by food-packaging materials (low-density polyethylene, polycarbonate and polyethylene terephthalate) on taste perception of a model solution and orange juice

The influence of flavour absorption by low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polycarbonate (PC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) on taste perception of a model solution containing seven flavour compounds and orange juice in glass bottles was studied with and without pieces of the respective plastic films after dark storage at 20°C. Owing to absorption, the amount of flavour compounds in the model solution exposed to LDPE decreased substantially. From the model flavour solution valencene was almost completely absorbed by LDPE, followed to a lesser extent by decanal, hexyl acetate, octanal and nonanone. Less flavour compounds were absorbed from the model solution by PC and PET. In contrast to LDPE, valencene was absorbed in the lowest amounts and decanal in the highest. Limonene was readily absorbed from orange juice by LDPE, while myrcene, valencene, pinene and decanal were absorbed in smaller quantities. Only three flavour compounds were absorbed from orange juice by PC and PET in very small amounts: limonene, myrcene and decanal. Although the flavour content between controls and polymer-treated samples differed substantially, the loss of flavour compounds due to absorption by LDPE, PC and PET did not influence taste perception of a model solution and orange juice significantly up to 29 days of dark storage at 20°C as determined by triangular taste panel test

Influence of flavour absorption on oxygen permentation through LDPE, PP, PC and PET plastics food packaging

The effect of flavour absorption on the oxygen permeability of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was studied using an isostatic continuous flow system. Polymer samples were exposed to a model solution containing limonene, hexyl acetate, nonanone and decanal at 40°C. After exposure, one part of each sample was analysed for absorbed flavour compounds using a Large Volume Injection GC Ultrasonic 'in vial' extraction method, and from the other part, oxygen permeability was measured in a permeation cell at 25°C. After 8h of exposure, LDPE and PP samples showed a significant linear (R2 = 0.82 and 0.99) increase in oxygen permeability of 21 and 130%, respectively. Owing to swelling of the polymer samples resulting from flavour absorption, the structure of the polymeric network changed (i.e. opened) and consequently increased oxygen permeability. The oxygen permeability of exposed PC showed a significant linear (R2 = 0.78) decrease of 11% after 21 days. PC obviously did not swell like LDPE or PP. Therefore, it was suggested that absorbed flavour compounds occupied or blocked 'microcavities' through which normally oxygen is transported. Absorption of flavour compounds by PET did not affect the oxygen permeability of PET significantl