World Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development

Research Article

Active and Intelligent Packaging Systems-Application in

Seafood
Mohan COA* and Ravishankar CN
Division of Fish Processing, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin

Abstract
Seafood’s being rich in easily digestible protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids are also highly perishable. Conventional method of packaging has limited
functionality and are not interactive. Latest trend in packaging of food is the Smart packaging technology which improves the safety and shelf life of perishable
commodities. Smart packaging involves a combination of specialized materials, science and technology to provide additional advantages over their traditional
counterparts. Smart Packaging enhances packaging functionality through two methods: Active Packaging and Intelligent Packaging. Active Packaging enhances
functionality, while Intelligent Packaging can communicate the packaged content’s status, or communicate other messaging. The present article discusses the
applications of smart packaging for seafood.
Keywords: Smart packaging; Active packaging; Intelligent packaging; Seafood; Freshness indicator

Introduction Fish being one of the most perishable foods, its freshness is rapidly
lost even when stored under chilled conditions. Further, consumers
The demand for good quality food product with improved quality
demands to have fish in as fresh a state as possible so that the
and shelf life is on rise globally. Over the years, packaging have brought
characteristics flavours are retained. Bulk transportation of fresh
out a revolution in the marketing and distribution of food products
fish in ice has several limitations like limited extension of shelf life,
including fish. Among the food categories, seafood ranks 3rd with
unnecessary expenditure on freight due to ice, difficulty in handling
respect to consumption which explains the importance of fish. Fish is
and maintaining hygienic conditions due to leaching of ice melt water
a vital source of food for people. It is the most important single source
with leaching losses of soluble nutrients and flavouring compounds.
of high-quality protein, providing approximately 16% of the animal
Proper packaging will help in improving the keeping quality of fish.
protein consumed by the world’s population (Food and Agriculture
Packaging is an important aspect for improving the shelf life and
Organisation (FAO), United Nations, 1997). By any measure, fishes
marketability. Packaging enhances the consumer acceptability and
are among the world’s most important natural resources. Fisheries
hence saleability of the product. Traditionally, food packaging is
production was 171 mmt in 2016 of which capture and culture fisheries
meant for protection, communication, convenience and containment.
accounted to 90.9 mmt and 80 mmt, respectively [1]. The total first
The package is used to protect the product from the deteriorative
sale value of fisheries was USD $362 billion. Additionally, with over
effects of the external environmental conditionals like heat, light,
25,000 known species, the biodiversity and ecological roles of fish
presence or absence of moisture, pressure, microorganisms, and
are being increasingly recognized in aquatic conservation, ecosystem
gaseous emissions and so on. Packaging is an integral part of the food
management, restoration and aquatic environmental regulation.
processing and plays an important role in preventing or reducing
Like any other food commodities, fish is one of the highly the generation of waste in the supply of food. Packaging assists the
perishable items which undergoes spoilage if sufficient care is not preservation of the world’s resources through the prevention of
taken. Various preservation methods have been in place to overcome product spoilage and wastage, and by protecting products until they
the spoilage of fish. Chilling and refrigeration is the most preferred have performed their function. Basic requirements of a package are
preservation method as it helps in preserving fresh like quality. good marketing properties, reasonable price, and technical feasibility,
Chilling or icing is reducing the temperature of fish so as to prolong utility for food contact, low environmental stress, and suitability for
the lag phase of bacteria and helps in reducing the spoilage rate. recycling. Simply packing fish is suitable packaging material will
enhance the shelf life of chilled and refrigerated fish to 7 to 15 days
depending on fish species [2-18]. However, in the normal packaging
Citation: Mohan COA, Ravishankar CN. Active and Intelligent
the spoilage process will be accelerated due to presence of O2 in the
Packaging Systems-Application in Seafood. World J Aquac Res
normal air packing. Alteration in the package atmosphere will help
Development. 2019; 1(1): 1003. in overcoming the problem of shelf life, which can be achieved by
Copyright: © 2019 Mohan COA vacuum packaging or modified atmosphere packaging.
Publisher Name: Medtext Publications LLC Vacuum Packaging
Manuscript compiled: February 11 , 2019 th
Important properties by which consumers judge fish and shell fish
*Corresponding author: Mohan COA, Division of Fish Processing, products are appearance, texture and flavour. Appearance, specifically
Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin, E-mail: comohan@ colour, is an important quality attribute influencing the consumer’s
gmail.com decision to purchase. In fresh red meat fishes, myoglobin can exist

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 World Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development

in one of three chemical forms. Deoxymyoglobin, which is purple, is and extend the shelf life of fresh fishery products while maintaining
rapidly oxygenated to cherry red oxymyoglobin on exposure to air. a high-quality end product. A modified atmosphere can be defined
Over time, oxymyoglobin is oxidised to metmyoglobin which results in as one that is created by altering the normal composition of air (78%
a brown discoloration associated with a lack of freshness. Low oxygen nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.03% carbon dioxide and traces of noble gases)
concentrations favour oxidation of oxymyoglobin to metmyoglobin. to provide an optimum atmosphere for increasing the storage length
Therefore, in order to minimize metmyoglobin formation in fresh red and quality of food/produce [20,21]. Oxygen, CO2, and N2, are most
meats, oxygen must be excluded from the packaging environment often used in MAP [21,22]. Other gases such as, nitrous and nitric
to below 0.05% or present at saturating levels. Lipid oxidation is oxides, sulphur dioxide, ethylene, chlorine [21], as well as ozone and
another major quality deteriorative process in muscle foods resulting propylene oxide [23] have been suggested for a variety of products and
in a variety of breakdown products which produce undesirable off- investigated experimentally. However, due to safety, regulatory and
odours and flavours. Hence O2 may cause off-flavours (e.g. rancidity cost considerations, they have not been applied commercially. These
as a result of lipid oxidation), colour changes (e.g. discolouration gases are combined in three ways for use in modified atmospheres:
of pigments such as carotenoids, oxidation), nutrient losses (e.g. inert blanketing using N2, semi-reactive blanketing using CO2:N2 or
oxidation of vitamin E, β-carotene, ascorbic acid) and accelerates O2:CO2:N2 or fully reactive blanketing using CO2 or CO2:O2. Typical
microbial spoilage thereby causing significant reduction in the shelf MAP machine and gas composition analyser is given in (Figure 1).
life of foods. Therefore, control of oxygen levels in food package is
Development of modified atmosphere packaging
important to limit the rate of such deteriorative and spoilage reactions
in foods. Oxygen level in the package can be controlled by using the Kolbe was the first to investigate and discover the preservative
vacuum packaging technique in which, the air present in the pack effect of carbon dioxide on meat in 18th century and Coyne was the
is completely evacuated by applying vacuum and then package is first to apply modified atmospheres to fishery products as early as
sealed. Vacuum packaging, which is also referred as skin packaging 1930’s. Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) is the removal and/
involves removal of air inside the pack completely and maintaining or replacement of the atmosphere surrounding the product before
food material under vacuum conditions, so that oxygen available sealing in vapor-barrier materials. While technically different many
for the growth of microbes and oxidation will be limited. This will forms of map are also case ready packaging, where meat is cut and
help in doubling the shelf life of fish under chilled conditions. This packaged at a centralized location for transport to and display at a
technique is particularly useful in fatty fishes, where the development retail store. Most of the shelf life properties of meat are extended
of undesirable odour due to the oxidation of fat is the major problem. by use of map, but anoxic forms of MAP without carbon monoxide
Vacuum packaging for chilled and refrigerated fishes doubles the do not provide bloomed red meat color and MAP without oxygen
shelf life compared to normal air packaging [3]. Application of this may promote oxidation of lipids and pigments. Advances in plastic
to frozen fishes is also commonly followed as it helps in reducing materials and equipment have propelled advances in MAP, but other
problem of freezer burn. This technique can be applied to fresh meat technological and logistical considerations are needed for successful
and fishes, processed meat and fishes, cheese, coffee, cut vegetables MAP systems for raw chilled fresh meat. The growth inhibition
etc. One of the important aspect in the vacuum packaging is the use of of microorganisms in MA is determined by the concentration of
packaging material with good barrier properties. Normally polyester- dissolved CO2 in the product. The preservation effect of MAP is
polyethylene or nylon-polyethylene laminates are used. Polyester and due to the drop in surface pH in MA products because of the acidic
nylon provides good strength and acts as good barrier to oxygen. effect of dissolved CO2, but this could not entirely explain all of CO2's
Polyethylene proves good heat sealing property and is resistant to water bacteriostatic effect. The possibility of intracellular accumulation of
transmission. The advantages of vacuum packaging include reduction CO2 would upset the normal physiological equilibrium by slowing
in fat oxidation, growth of aerobic microorganisms, reduction in down enzymatic processes. Thus, the effect of CO2 on bacterial
evaporation thereby dryness and freezer burn in frozen products, growth is complex and four mechanisms of CO2 on micro-organisms
extends shelf life and reduces volume for bulk packs containing has been identified [23-26]:
lighter materials. Disadvantages include difficulty in use for sensitive
crispy products and products with sharp edges, requires high barrier
packaging material to maintain vacuum, creates anaerobic condition,
which may trigger the growth and toxin production of Clostridium
botulinum and the growth of Listeria monocytogenes. Additional
barriers/hurdles are needed to control these microorganisms and
also it is capital intensive. Alternative to vacuum packaging, reduced
oxygen level in the package can be achieved by using active packaging
system like oxygen scavenger. Use of oxygen scavenger is very effective
in reducing the oxygen level to <0.01% within 24 h, which helps in
preserving the quality of food [19]. This is not capital intensive and
can be applied to any products including crispy and products with
sharp edges.
Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)
Marketing of Modified Atmosphere Packaged (MAP) foods have
increased, as food manufacturers have attempted to meet consumer
Figure 1: Schematic representation of Influence of active packaging on the
demands for fresh, refrigerated foods with extended shelf-life. It is also shelf life of Indian Oil sardine.
used widely, as a supplement to ice or refrigeration to delay spoilage

© 2019 - Medtext Medtext Publications. All Rights Reserved. 011 2019 | Volume 1 | Article 1003
 World Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development

1. Alteration of cell membrane functions including effects on brown discoloration associated with a lack of freshness. Low oxygen
nutrient uptake and absorption, concentrations favour oxidation of oxymyoglobin to metmyoglobin.
Therefore, in order to minimize metmyoglobin formation in fresh red
2. Direct inhibition of enzymes or decrease in the rate of enzyme
meats, oxygen must be excluded from the packaging environment
reactions,
to below 0.05% or present at saturating levels. High oxygen levels
3. Penetration of bacterial membranes, leading to intracellular within MAP also promote oxidation of muscle lipids over time with
pH changes, deleterious effect on fresh meat colour. O2 in MA-packages of fresh
fish will also inhibit reduction of TMAO to TMA. Nitrogen (N2) is
4. Direct changes in the physico-chemical properties of proteins.
an inert and tasteless gas, and is mostly used as a filler gas in MAP,
Probably a combination of all these activities account for the either to reduce the proportions of the other gases or to maintain pack
bacteriostatic effect. A certain amount (depending on the foodstuff) shape by preventing packaging collapse due to dissolution of CO2 into
of CO2 has to dissolve into the product to inhibit bacterial growth. the product. Nitrogen is used to prevent package collapse because
The ratio between the volume of gas and volume of food product (G/P of its low solubility in water and fat. Nitrogen is used to replace O2
ratio) should be usually 2:1 or 3:1 (gas:food product). This high G/P in packages to delay oxidative rancidity and to inhibit the growth of
ratio is also necessary to prevent package collapse because of the CO2 aerobic microorganisms. The exact combination to be sued depends
solubility in wet foods. The CO2 solubility could also alter the food- on many factors such as the type of the product, packaging materials
water holding capacity and thus increase drip. and storage temperature. The gas ratio normally used are 60% CO2
and 40% N2, for fatty fishes and 40% CO2, 30% O2 and 30% N2 for lean
The major function of carbon dioxide in MAP is to inhibit growth
variety fishes. Shelf life of different fishes packed under vacuum and
of spoilage microbes. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is soluble in both water
MAP at different storage conditions are given.
and lipid it has a bacteriostatic and fungistatic properties. Carbon
dioxide lowers the intra and extra cellular pH of tissue including that Smart packaging technologies
of microorganisms. It affects the membrane potential and influence Traditional packaging concepts are limited in their ability to
the equilibrium of decarboxylating enzymes of microorganisms. prolong the shelf-life of fish products. This can be overcome by
CO2 increases the lag phase and a slower rate of growth of microbes adopting vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging technologies.
during logarithmic phase. This bacteriostatic effect is influenced by However, these require capital investment apart from requirement of
the concentration of CO2, the partial pressure of CO2, volume of fresh food grade gas in case of MAP. This promoted the researchers
headspace gas, the type of micro organism, the age and load of the to develop new and improved methods for maintaining food quality
initial bacterial population, the microbial growth phase, the growth and for extending shelf life. Active and intelligent packaging, which
medium used, the storage temperature, acidity, water activity, and are regarded as smart packaging technologies, is one such advanced
the type of the product being packaged. Pathogens like Clostridium packaging technique which is finding its way in the preservation of
perfringens and Clostridium botulinum are not affected by the various food systems including fish and shellfish. The market for active
presence of carbon dioxide and their growth is encouraged by and intelligent packaging systems are fast growing and their demand
anaerobic conditions. In general, carbon dioxide is most effective in is projected to reach $10.5 billion by 2021, fuelled by the development
foods where the normal spoilage organisms consist of aerobic, Gram of new generations of products and more cost competitive prices,
negative psychrotropic bacteria. The CO2 is flushed into the modified which will spur greater market acceptance for many product types.
atmosphere package by evacuating the air and flushing the appropriate
gas mixture into the package prior to sealing. Another method Basis of smart packaging
to create a modified atmosphere for a product is either to generate Packaging has four basic functions, viz., containment, convenience,
the CO2 and/or remove O2 inside the package after packaging or to protection and communication. Conventional packaging systems
dissolve the CO2 into the product prior to packaging. Both methods offer limited protection and communicates only through the labelling.
can give appropriate packages with smaller gas/product ratio to the It will not provide any information about the quality and safety of
package. The solubility of CO2 decreases with increasing temperature, the product. Active and intelligent packaging enhances the protection
hence MAP products should be stored at lower temperatures to get and communication functions, respectively. The following graphics
the maximum antimicrobial effect. Also the temperature fluctuations explains how this enhanced functionality works.
will usually eliminate the beneficial effects of CO2. The rate of Active Packaging
absorption of CO2 depends on the moisture and fat content of the Active packaging is an innovative concept that can be defined as
product. If product absorbs excess CO2, the total volume inside the ‘a type of packaging that changes the condition of the packaging and
package will be reduced, giving a vacuum package look known as maintains these conditions throughout the storage period to extend
“pack collapse”. Excess CO2 absorption along with “pack collapse” shelf-life or to improve safety or sensory properties while maintaining
results in the reduction of water holding capacity and further drip loss the quality of packaged food’ [27-29]. Active packaging (AP) performs
to the products. some desired role other than providing an inert barrier between the
The major function of oxygen is to avoid anaerobic condition product and external conditions and combines advances in food
which favours the growth and toxin production of C. botulinum technology, bio-technology, packaging and material science, in an
and growth of L. monocytogenes. Oxygen in the MAP is also useful effort to comply with consumer demands for ‘fresh like’ products.
to maintain the muscle pigment myoglobin in its oxygenated form, This involves incorporation of certain additives into the packaging
oxymyoglobin. In fresh red meats, myoglobin can exist in one of film or within packaging containers with the aim of maintaining and
three chemical forms. Deoxymyoglobin, which is purple, is rapidly extending product shelf life. Active packaging technique is either
oxygenated to cherry red oxymyoglobin on exposure to air. Over scavenging or emitting systems added to emit (e.g., N2, CO2, ethanol,
time, oxymyoglobin is oxidised to metmyoglobin which results in a antimicrobials, antioxidants) and/or to remove (e.g., O2, CO2, odour,

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 World Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development

ethylene) gases during packaging, storage and distribution. In case desired concentration within the package. A carbon dioxide generating
of a gas-scavenging or emitting system, reactive compounds are system can be viewed as a technique complimentary to MAP to
either contained in individual sachets or stickers associated to the overcome the drawbacks. The potential of CO2 in MAP and more
packaging material or, more recently, directly incorporated into the recently generation of CO2 inside the packaging system have been
packaging material. Major active packaging techniques are concerned explored in relation to a number of commodities for their successful
with substances that absorb oxygen, ethylene, moisture, carbon preservation. Such systems are based on sodium bicarbonate, ferrous
dioxide, flavours/odours and those which release carbon dioxide, carbonate, ascorbate, citric acid etc. Sodium bicarbonate, when used
antimicrobial agents, antioxidants and flavours. The most important together with ascorbic acid or citric acid in the presence of sufficient
active packaging concepts for fishery products include O2 scavenging, moisture generates CO2. This technique is very simple and economical
CO2 emitters, moisture regulators, antimicrobial packaging concepts, as it does not require any costly equipment and pure gases.
antioxidant release are discussed here.
Moisture regulator
O2-scavenger
Wet food has a high vapour pressure, and hence the humidity in the
Fish products are highly susceptible to oxygen as it leads to the food package increases. Apart from this a certain amount of moisture
growth of aerobic microorganisms and oxidation which causes will be trapped in the packaging due to temperature fluctuations in
undesirable colour changes (e.g. discolouration of pigments such as high equilibrium relative humidity food packages or the drip of tissue
myoglobin, carotenoids), off-odours and flavours (e.g. rancidity as a fluid from cut fish and fish products. If it is not removed, this moisture
result of lipid oxidation) and leads to loss of nutrients (e.g. oxidation will be absorbed by the product or condense on the surface, which
of vitamin E, β-carotene, ascorbic acid) which adversely affects cause microbial spoilage and/or low consumer appeal. An excessive
the quality. Therefore, control of oxygen levels in food package is level of water causes softening of dry crispy products. On the other
important to limit the rate of such deteriorative and spoilage reactions hand, excessive water evaporation through the packaging material
in foods. Although O2-sensitive foods can be packed appropriately might result in desiccation of the packed foodstuffs. It may also
using Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) or vacuum packaging, favour rancidity of lipids. The controlling of this excess moisture in
these technologies do not always remove O2 completely. Moreover, food package is important to lower the water activity of the product,
the O2 that permeates through the packaging film cannot be removed thereby suppressing microbial growth and preventing foggy film
by these techniques. By use of an O2-scavenger, which absorbs the formation. Apart from this, removal of drip from chilled fish and
residual O2 after packaging, quality changes of O2-sensitive foods melting water from frozen fish and shellfish makes the package more
associated with low residual oxygen levels can be minimized. O2 attractive to the consumer. An effective way of controlling excess
scavengers were first commercialized in the late 1970s by Japan’s water accumulation in a food package is the use of high barrier film
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company (Ageless®). O2 scavengers are able material with the appropriate water vapour permeability and use of
to eliminate oxygen contained in the packaging headspace and in the moisture scavenger, such as silica gel, molecular sieves, natural clays,
product or permeating through the packaging material during storage. calcium oxide, calcium chloride and modified starch etc. Among
O2 scavengers are efficient in preventing discolouration of fresh and these, silica gel is the most widely used desiccant because it is not toxic
cured fish, rancidity problems, mould spoilage of intermediate and and non-corrosive. Drip-absorbent sheets for liquid water control in
high moisture products or oxidative flavour changes. O2 scavenging high raw foods such as fresh fish and shellfish basically consist of
concepts are mainly based on iron powder oxidation, ascorbic a super absorbent polymer in between two layers. Large sheets are
acid oxidation, photosensitive dye oxidation, enzymatic oxidation also used for absorption of melted ice in packages of seafood during
(e.g. glucose oxidase and alcohol oxidase), unsaturated fatty acids air transportation. The preferred polymers for absorbing water
(e.g. oleic or linolenic acid), rice extract or immobilized yeast on a are polyacrylate salts and graft copolymers of starch. For dried fish
solid substrate. Structurally, the oxygen scavenging component of a applications, desiccants such as silica gel, molecular sieves, CaO and
package can take the form of a sachet, label or film (incorporation of natural clays (e.g. montmorillonite) packed in sachets can be used.
scavenging agent into the packaging film, which avoids the accidental
consumption of sachet), card, closure liner or concentrate. Antimicrobial packaging
Major part of the fish spoilage is attributed to the microbial
CO2-emitter
contamination and subsequent growth which reduces the shelf life
The method of preserving food products using CO2 is not new. of foods and increases the risk of food borne illness. Traditional
Modified atmosphere packaging which mainly employs the gases like methods of preserving fish from the effect of microbial growth include
CO2, N2 and O2 has been in use for extending the freshness of fish thermal processing, drying, freezing, refrigeration, irradiation, MAP
products since many decades. The high CO2-levels (10% to 80%) are and addition of antimicrobial agents or salts. However, some of these
desirable for moist food products like fish, shellfish and meat products techniques cannot be applied to fresh fish products as they alter its
which inhibit surface microbial growth and thereby extend shelf-life. fresh nature. Antimicrobial packaging is a fast developing active
The overall effect of CO2 is to increase both the lag phase and the packaging especially for fish and meat products. Since microbial
generation time of spoilage microorganisms. Over the years this has contamination of these products occurs primarily at the surface, due
been achieved by modified atmosphere packaging, in which a package to post-processing handling the use of antimicrobials either by spray
is flushed with a mixture of gases including carbon dioxide at sufficient or dip treatment and more recently using antimicrobial packaging can
levels. However the concentration of CO2 within the package will be advantageous to improve safety and to delay spoilage. The principle
change due to the partial dissolution of CO2 in to the product and action of antimicrobial films is based on the release of antimicrobial
permeability through the packaging film. Normally, the permeability entities into the food which extends the lag phase and reduce the
of carbon dioxide is 3 to 5 times higher than that of oxygen in most growth phase of microorganisms in order to prolong shelf life and to
plastic films, so it must be continuously produced to maintain the maintain product quality and safety. To confer antimicrobial activity,

© 2019 - Medtext Medtext Publications. All Rights Reserved. 013 2019 | Volume 1 | Article 1003
 World Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development

antimicrobial agents may be coated, incorporated, immobilised or Intelligent Packaging

surface modified onto package materials. Promising active packaging
systems are based on the incorporation of antimicrobial substances Intelligent packaging senses some properties of the food it
in food packaging materials in order to control undesirable growth of encloses or the environment in which it is kept and in form the
microorganisms on the surface of food. The antimicrobial compound manufacturer, retailer and consumer of the state of these properties.
embedded into the polymer acts by two different kinds of mechanisms. Although it is distinctly different from the active packaging concept,
In the first method, the preservative is covalently immobilized into features of intelligent packaging can be used to check the effectiveness
the polymer matrix and acts directly from the film when the food is and integrity of active packaging systems. Intelligent packaging has
brought in contact with the active material. Regarding the latter, the been defined as ‘packaging systems which monitor the condition
preservative is embedded into the matrix in the dry state. When the of packaged foods to provide information about the quality of the
active material is brought in contact with a moist food or a liquid- packaged food during transport and storage’. Smart packaging
like food, the preservative is released from the material and acts devices, which may be an integral component or inherent property
directly. In both cases the aim of the system is to extend the shelf of a foodstuff ’s packaging, can be used to monitor a plethora of food
life of the packaged foodstuff, inhibiting the microbial growth and pack attributes. A variety of indicators such as temperature, time-
preserving its properties. The classes of antimicrobials range from temperature, pack integrity, microbial growth, product authenticity
acid anhydride, alcohol, bacteriocins, chelators, enzymes, organic and freshness are of interest to the fish packaging industry.
acids and polysaccharides. Apart from these, various plant derivatives Time-temperature indicators
and derivatives from fishery waste like chitosan can be incorporated The basic idea behind this indicator is that the quality of food
into the packaging system as antimicrobials. deteriorates more rapidly at higher temperature due to biochemical
Antioxidant release and microbial reactions. Operation of TTIs is based on mechanical,
Antioxidants are widely used as food additives to improve chemical, electrochemical, enzymatic or microbiological change
oxidation stability of lipids and to prolong shelf-life, mainly for dried usually expressed as a visible response in the form of a mechanical
products and O2-sensitive foods such as fishes as they contain highly deformation, colour development or colour movement. The visible
unsaturated fatty acids. Antioxidants can also be incorporated into response thus gives a cumulative indication of the storage temperature
plastic films for polymer stabilization in order to protect the films to which the TTI has been exposed. Essentially TTIs are small tags
from degradation. Incorporation of Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) or labels that keep track of time-temperature histories to which a
into the packaging film as an antioxidant is widely practiced. However, perishable product like fish is exposed from the point of production/
there has been some concern regarding the physiological effects of manufacture to the retail outlet or end-consumer. Their use in fish
consuming BHT due to its tendency to accumulate in human adipose and shellfish products offers enormous potential where monitoring
tissue. Hence, the use of synthetic antioxidants in contact with foods of the cold distribution chain, microbial safety and quality are of
is decreasing. It is therefore desirable to use natural and harmless paramount importance. Hence, a Time-Temperature Indicator or
antioxidants. Vitamins E and C are the common natural antioxidants, Integrator (TTI) may be defined as a small measuring device that
and their incorporation in polymer films to exert antioxidative effects shows a time and temperature dependent, easily, accurately and
is still at the experimental stage. Vitamin E is stable under processing precisely measurable irreversible change that reflects the full or partial
conditions and has an excellent solubility in polyolefins. Apart from temperature history of a food product to which it is attached.
these, natural antioxidants extracted from plant and animal substances Leakage indicator
and their use as antioxidant packaging is under experimental stages. The development of improved methods to determine food
Active packaging systems with dual functionality quality such as freshness, microbial spoilage, oxidative rancidity or
A more sophisticated way of extending the shelf life of packaged oxygen and/or heat induced deterioration is extremely important to
foods with active packaging systems is to use multiple function active food manufacturers. In order to maximise the quality and safety of
systems. For example, the combination of oxygen scavengers with foodstuffs, prediction of shelf-life, based on standard quality control
carbon dioxide and/or antimicrobial/antioxidant releasing systems procedures is normally undertaken. Replacement of such time-
significantly improves the storage stability of packaged foods. In the consuming and expensive quality measurements with rapid, reliable
packages with O2 scavenger alone, the removal of oxygen from the and inexpensive alternatives has lead to greater efforts being made
package creates a partial vacuum, which may result in the collapse to identify and measure chemical or physical indicators of food
of flexible packaging. Also, when a package is flushed with a mixture quality. Determination of indicator headspace gases provides a means
of gases including carbon dioxide, the carbon dioxide dissolves in by which the quality of a fish and meat product and the integrity
the product creating a partial vacuum and certain amount of CO2 of the packaging in which it is held can be established rapidly and
permeates through the packaging film. But relatively high CO2 levels inexpensively. One means of doing so is through the intelligent
are necessary in order to inhibit surface microbial growth and to packaging incorporating gas sensor technology for sensing the
extend the shelf life. In such cases, the self-working systems, which oxygen and CO2, as these two are the most commonly used gases. The
absorb O2 and generate sufficient volume of CO2 will be promising in monitoring of these gases in the package helps in establishing the food
extending the shelf life of foods particularly fishery products. ICAR- quality. The profiles of oxygen and carbon dioxide can change over time
CIFT has developed the technologies for these active packaging and are influenced by product type, respiration, packaging material,
systems to be adopted in different food systems to enhance the shelf- pack size, volume ratios, storage conditions, package integrity etc. A
life. number of analytical techniques are available to monitor gas phases
in MAP products. Instrumental techniques such as GC and GC/MS
require breakage of package integrity and are time-consuming and

© 2019 - Medtext Medtext Publications. All Rights Reserved. 014 2019 | Volume 1 | Article 1003
 World Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development

expensive. Portable headspace oxygen and/or carbon dioxide gas 3. Mohan CO, Ravishankar CN, Srinivasa Gopal TK. Effect of O2- scavenger on
analysers use ‘minimally destructive’ techniques (packages can be re- the shelf-life of catfish (Pangasiussutchi) steaks during chilled storage. J Sci Food
Agric. 2007;88(3):442-8.
sealed) but tend not to be applicable to real-time, on-line control of
packaging processes or large scale usage. An optical sensor approach 4. Mohan CO, Ravishankar CN, Srinivasa Gopal TK, Ashok Kumar K. Nucleotide
offers a realistic alternative to such conventional methods. They can breakdown products of seer fish (Scomberomoruscommerson) steaks stored
be used as a leak indicator or to verify the efficiency of O2-scavenger, in O2 scavenger packs during chilled storage. Inno Food Sci Eme Technol.
2009;10(2):272-8.
CO2 emitter or MAP systems. Most of these indicators assume a
colour change as a result of a chemical or enzymatic reaction. The 5. Mohan CO, Ravishankar CN, Srinivasa Gopal TK, Ashok Kumar K, Lalitha KV.
most common redox dye used for leak indicators is methylene blue. Biogenic amines formation in Seer fish (Scomberomoruscommerson) steaks
packed with O2-scavenger during chilled storage. Food Res Int. 2009;42(3):411-6.
Freshness indicators
6. Mohan CO, Ravishankar CN, Srinivasa Gopal TK, Lalitha KV, Ashok Kumar
An ideal indicator for the quality control of packaged food K. Effect of reduced oxygen atmosphere and sodium acetate treatment on the
products should indicate the spoilage or lack of freshness of the microbial quality changes of Seer fish (Scomberomoruscommerson) steaks stored
product, in addition to temperature abuse or package leak. The in ice. Food Microbiol. 2010;27(4):526-34.
information provided by intelligent packaging systems on the quality 7. Mohan CO, Ravishankar CN, Srinivasa Gopal TK, Lalitha KV. Effect of
of food products may be either indirect (e.g. deviation from storage chitosan edible coating on the quality of double filleted Indian oil sardine
temperature and changes in packaging O2/CO2 concentration may (Sardinellalongiceps) during chilled storage. Food Hydrocollods. 2012;26(1):167-
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Smart packaging systems contribute to the improvement of food turbot (Psetta maxima). Food Chem. 2006;97(2):223-30.

safety and extend the shelf-life of the packaged foods. However these 16. Remya S, Mohan CO, Bindu J, Sivaraman GK, Venkateshwarlu G, Ravishankar
are evolving technologies in the seafood area and many of these CN. Effect of chitosan based active packaging film on the keeping quality of chilled
systems are in the developmental stage. Continued innovations stored barracuda fish. J Food Sci Technol. 2016;53(1):685-93.
in active and intelligent packaging are expected to lead to further 17. Remya S, Mohan CO, Venkateshwarlu G, Sivaraman GK, Ravishankar CN.
improvements in food quality, safety and stability. Combined effect of O2 scavenger and antimicrobial film on shelf life of fresh cobia
(Rachycentroncanadum) fish steaks stored at 2°C. Food Control. 2017;71:71-8.
Acknowledgement
Authors would like to thank Director, ICAR-Central Institute of 18. Manju S, Mohan CO, Mallick AK, Ravishankar CN, Srinivasa Gopal TK. Influence
of vacuum packaging and organic acid treatment on the chilled shelf life of pearl
Fisheries Technology, Cochin, India for permitting to publish.
spot (Etroplussuratensis, Bloch 1970). J Food Quality. 2008;31(3):347-65.
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