Antimicrobial Activity of Biodegradable Polysaccharide and Protein-Based Films Containing Active Agents

Significant interest has emerged in the introduction of food packaging materials manufactured from biodegradable polymers that have the potential to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional packaging materials. Current technologies in active packaging enable effective antimicrobial (AM) packaging films to be prepared from biodegradable materials that have been modified and/or blended with different compatible materials and/or plasticisers. A wide range of AM films prepared from modified biodegradable materials have the potential to be used for packaging of various food products. This review examines biodegradable polymers derived from polysaccharides and protein-based materials for their potential use in packaging systems designed for the protection of food products from microbial contamination. A comprehensive table that systematically analyses and categorizes much of the current literature in this area is included in the review

Social deprivation and childhood injuries in North and West Belfast.

Injuries in childhood represent a major public health concern. North and West Belfast is an area in which a high rate of emergency department attendance due to injury has been observed, and in which social deprivation is widespread. We carried out a cross sectional survey of 479 injuries in children aged 0-12 years presenting to four emergency departments serving North and West Belfast. Injury rates were compared between the most deprived and least deprived areas, selected on the basis of Noble Economic Deprivation scores. A significant correlation between economic deprivation and injury rate was demonstrated (r = 2.14, p < or = 0.001). Children living within the most deprived areas were particularly likely to be involved in road traffic accidents (relative risk RR = 3.25, p = 0.002). We conclude that children living within the most deprived areas of North and West Belfast are at greater risk of injury than those in less deprived areas. Specific causes of injury, for example burns and scalds, high falls, and motor vehicle accidents are particularly associated with deprivation. Targeting should be taken into account when injury prevention strategies are being developed

Reinforcement of refined and semi-refined carrageenan film with nanocellulose

Carrageenans obtained from seaweeds can be processed into films for a range of applications including food packaging. The level of carrageenan refinement during extraction can influence the key properties, with semi-refined carrageenan (SRC) containing more impurities than the more refined carrageenan (RC). Further refinement steps, however, result in higher costs associated with the production of RC. In order to obtain a lower cost and more ecofriendly, bio-based material for food packaging applications, SRC was used in this investigation to produce a thin film reinforced with nanocellulose fibrils (NCF). Films derived from RC containing NCF were also investigated with water sensitivity and physico-mechanical and thermal properties among the properties tested. Levels of NCF were varied from 1% to 7% (w/w), and in general, the NCF reinforcement improved the overall properties of both the SRC and RC films, including the water sensitivity and moisture barrier. However, NCF inclusion in SRC film was less effective with regard to the mechanical and thermal properties compared with NCF inclusion in RC film. The enhancement in properties was attributed to the greater cohesiveness of the reinforced polymer structure and the crystalline regions formed in the structures of SRC and RC films by NCF incorporation