Compatibility of chlorine dioxide as antimicrobial gas for food packaging application

Abstract

The consumers' healthier trend towards ready-to-eat (RTE) minimally processed food products like fresh-cut fruits and RTE leafy green salads also increase the risks of foodborne outbreak since the food will be consumed without any further processing or with minimal preparation. Active packaging, more specifically, antimicrobial packaging systems is one of the safety strategies that could be applied to such products. Chlorine dioxide (ClO 2 ), a strong oxidizing agent, is among the promising antimicrobial gases many researchers considering using in vapor-phase decontamination of food products. The compatibility of ClO 2 as antimicrobial gas for food packaging was reviewed in this work.