Exploring Antimicrobial Efficacy of Silver Nanoparticles in Active Food Packaging Systems

Abstract

Nanotechnology has been used in various sciences since its introduction in 1959, and its new applications are being found in different industries every day. The food industry is one of the industries in which nanotechnology has an advancing trend. Nanotechnology has been applied in different sectors of this industry, such as food safety, food design, and food protection. Nowadays, scientists' attention has been paid to silver nanoparticles for being used in food packaging and food protection with an emphasis on their antimicrobial properties. The application of nanotechnology in food packaging is divided into four categories: reinforced packaging, active packaging, intelligent packaging, and biodegradable nano-composites packaging; the use of silver nanoparticles in packaging is in the field of active packaging. There are many hypotheses about how silver nanoparticles apply antimicrobial properties, the most probable of which is the binding of silver nanoparticles to thiol groups in the enzymes of organisms, which leads to the inactivation of enzymes and finally damage to the cell wall. In general, silver nanoparticles can extend the shelf life of food by prolonging the lag phase and suppressing the growth of pathogens. In general, three chemicals, physical and biological methods are employed to produce nanoparticles. Recently, the use of biological methods or green chemistry has received much attention for the production of nanoparticles since there is no need for high energy consumption and advanced equipment, and also the lack of damage to the environment