Development of an active packaging with molecularly imprinted polymers for beef preservation

To develop molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for new food packaging material, a new active antibacterial packaging material was prepared with allyl isothiocyanate MIPs (AITC-MIPs) and chitosan (CS) for beef preservation. AITC-MIPs were prepared with AITC as template, -CD as the functional monomer, and TDI as the cross-linker by the non-covalent method, and the release characteristics were evaluated under different relative humidities and temperatures. The AITC-MIPs active packaging film was obtained by uniform coating with CS coating solution and AITC-MIPs based on the surface of the original low-density polyethylene packaging film, and its role in delaying muscle metamorphism was thoroughly explored. According to the N-hexane extraction method, the AITC content in AITC-MIPs was determined to be 73.9L/g. The release behaviors of AITC-MIPs under different humidities could be obtained by fitting with Avrami's Equation. The release of AITC-MIPs under the relative humidities of 98% and 75% is a restricted dynamic diffusion process, while the release behaviors of AITC-MIPs under the relative humidity of 50% are between those of a diffusion process and those of a first-order mode dynamic process. The AITC-MIPs could endure the heat stress, and the lower temperature was conducive to the stability of the AITC-MIPs. A series of physicochemical and microbiological indicators fully illustrated that muscle deterioration could be significantly (P<0.05) postponed by AITC-MIPs active packaging film compared with the original low-density polyethylene packaging film.