New technology that uses chemicals in the plastic packaging to prevent bacteria and fungi from growing and allows food to last for longer will soon be on its way to a store shelf near you, according to this article in The Telegraph.
Scientists at pharmaceutical company Janssen, working with plastics manufacturer Symphony Environmental, have spent two years developing the technology and are now in discussions with several food manufacturers and supermarkets to use the bags on their products. The technology, which they have called D2P, fixes antibacterial and antifungal chemicals into the plastic?, and early tests have shown that the plastic can increase the shelf-life of bread and cheese without contaminating the food. Test have also shown the ability to control bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, which can cause food poisoning, control the growth of fungus that grow on breads and others such as Mucor piriformis, which causes soft fruits to rot, and Penicillium roqueforti, which is found on cheese.
“We have come up with a way of making plastic that is antimicrobial and can be used in food wrapping," said Michael Stephen, director of Symphony Environmental. “We’ve done a lot of tests on food packaging and it has been shown to reduce the mold that grows on both bread and cheese.” To read more, click HERE.
