Effect of High Pressure Processing on Migration Characteristics in Polymer Films

Abstract

The use of polymer-based flexible packaging materials has allowed application of high pressure processing (HPP) to pre-packaged food products. Many of these materials have been shown to withstand different HPP conditions without significant loss of physical and mechanical properties. There are, however, still substantial gaps in scientific information surrounding the effect of pressure on food and packaging interactions. If HPP promotes migration of additives and other residual contaminants into foods in direct contact with the materials, it could possibly become a concern to public health. This chapter reviews the results of published research concerning (1) changes in morphological properties of the polymeric packaging materials under high pressure conditions and (2) HPP effects upon chemical migration from packaging materials and sorption of food constituents (flavor scalping) into packaging.

Effect of high-pressure processing on the migration of ε-caprolactam from multilayer polyamide packaging in contact with food simulants

“…Accordingly, when high pressures (600 MPa) are applied to the packaging material with different food simulants, the ε-caprolactam migration phenomenon is inferior when compared with conventional thermal processing (0.1 MPa/90 • C/10 min). According to Guillard, Mauricio-Iglesias, and Gontard (2010), Song (2014) and Ayvaz, Balasubramaniam, and Koutchma (2016), during high pressure compression, the polymer matrix loses its ability to interact with food due to the reduction of free volume. As the pressure is released, the polymer gradually recovers its original state and, therefore, migration processes can occur as expected at normal atmospheric pressure, which may explain the results of our study.…”